Knowledge, Attitude and Information Sources on HIV/AIDS Amongst Inmates of Two Prisons in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

This survey of two prisons (Benin and Oko) compared the inmates for knowledge about HIV/AIDS, their attitude towards HIV patients and information sources on HIV/AIDS before and during imprisonment. The purpose was to identify the most effective means of information for reaching inmates in order to prevent HIV transmission in and out of prisons. Prisoners in Benin (169) prison had lower levels of knowledge about the modes of HIV transmission and less appropriate attitude towards HIV/AIDS patients than their counterparts (150) in Oko prison (P, 0.05). Generally, individuals had variable levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and their sources of information before imprisonment were considerably reduced during confinement. It is concluded that folklore and anxieties in society which largely contributed to inadequate knowledge and dispositions should continually be identified and targeted for replacement with scientific knowledge about HIV/AIDS through health education and socials awareness campaigns.


Mary Slessor Journal of Medicine Vol.3(2) 2003:41-46