HIV/AIDS: What do secondary school students know and think ?

Abstract

Objective: To determine the level of awareness, knowledge and attitude of secondary school students in Owerri to HIV/AIDS.
Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to six hundred randomly selected secondary school students from four secondary schools and the results were analyzed.
Results: There was no significant difference in results from both sexes. All the students were aware of the disease. Viral aetiology was mentioned by 77.2% of all the students while 74.8% and 85.4% mentioned mother- to- child transmission and sexual intercourse respectively as modes of transmission. Blood transfusion and sharing of needles and syringes were mentioned by 92.8 % and 96.4% of the students respectively. Only 58.1% knew about the condom as a method of prevention. The students demonstrated a poor attitude to HIV/AIDS positive patients as 78.2% would not employ them while 10.6% want them isolated and 36.8% would avoid them. Mass media ;television ( (32.4% ) , radio ( 23.5%)) and health sources ( 26,1% ) were the major means of information.
Conclusion: Because of the deficiencies in knowledge and the poor attitude of the students, these highlighted areas should be emphasized in media adverts. The introduction of reproductive health studies in secondary school curricula may also help in addressing these identified deficiencies.


Keywords: Knowledge, Awareness, Attitude, HIV/AIDS, Adolescents

Port Harcourt Medical Journal Vol. 2 (3) 2008: pp. 238-243