An analysis of HIV risky behaviors of college students in Malawi: A case study of Bunda and The Polytechnic

Abstract

Malawi’s first case of HIV was identified in 1985. Since then the Government, assisted by international aid organizations, has mounted campaign to promote HIV&AIDS awareness, offer Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT), and to prevent the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. The 2010 UNAIDS Report on Malawi shows that the spread of the epidemic has stabilized and even may be declining. The concern, however, is whether young men and women, who constitute the high-risk population of contracting the disease, such as college students, are paying heed to the campaign. This study of a small group of students at the Polytechnic and Bunda College campuses of the University of Malawi in 2008 examined the propensity of the students to engage in behaviors likely to expose them to HIV & AIDS. The study found that at least 20 percent of those studied exposed themselves through risky behavior, such as high alcohol consumption, unprotected sex and use of drugs, even though 80 percent were aware that such behaviors were likely to predispose them to the disease. Since the sample size was very small, we did not generalize our study to all university students in Malawi or even to all students on the campuses where the study was conducted. Furthermore, we recommend a broader study covering all constituent colleges of the University of Malawi, before significant recommendations can be made. The study, however, points to significant problems that need to be addressed before they get out of control, such as alcoholism and sex without condoms.

Key words: Malawi, AIDS, HIV, University of Malawi, college students