Malaysians are alarmingly ignorant about how HIV/AIDS is spread, with 40 percent of them believing that beautiful women cannot get infected with the virus, survey results showed today.

A large majority - 60 percent - of Malaysians surveyed believed or were unsure if a mosquito bite could give them the virus while 40 percent thought a healthy-looking person, a beautiful woman or a handsome man could not get infected, according to the poll by the Universiti Putra Malaysia.

The university's associate professor Lekhraj Rampal told the New Straits Times he found the results of the survey, which involved about 18,805 people aged 15 and above, surprising.

"We say we are spreading the awareness message but it is not reflected on the ground," he was quoted as saying.

The paper said it showed 48 percent of those surveyed did not know whether a HIV-positive woman could transmit the virus through breast-feeding, while 56 percent believed HIV could be spread by sharing meals.

Reluctant to discuss sex

The Health Ministry earlier this month said 61,486 people were infected with HIV as of September last year - 75 percent of whom are intravenous drug users.

AIDS activists say a lack of education about the virus, plus a deep-rooted reluctance to discuss sex or admit the extent of the problem, have hindered mainly-Muslim Malaysia's fight against HIV/AIDS.

Recently the government announced it would begin distributing free needles and condoms to intravenous drug users to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, a plan that critics attacked as going against religious teachings and being a waste of public funds.

Several states have already introduced compulsory HIV tests for couples intending to marry.