Abstract
In Nigeria, the HIV sero- prevalence is steadily decreasing. It is presently put at 1.9 % among pregnant women. This implies that about 2 out of every 100 women of reproductive age have chance of getting infected with HIV. Market women are at risk and good target groups to enhance information dissemination to their children as well as neighbors. The objective of this study was to determine the level of awareness and source of information on HIV/AIDS among market women in Oyo State. A semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used which assessed respondents’ demographic characteristics, their level of knowledge and sources of HIV related information. Data was analyzed with Epi-info version 7 software. There were 300 market women who participated in this study. It was found that 22% of respondents were not aware of HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, more than 40% of the respondents wrongly mentioned sharing toilet as mode of transmission, followed by eating together (35%), sharing market stall (31%), handshake (30%), and sharing same bed (28%). 31% of respondents who had awareness of HIV, had accessed HIV screening. Most of those who had not accessed HIV screening did not do so because of fear of death (55%), stigmatization (33%) and not just wanting to test or screen for HIV (20%). It was gathered that the main source of information on HIV/AIDS among respondents was mass media. Results indicated that despite global effort on increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS, there are still needs for improvement among artisans, especially increasing knowledge on mode of transmission and need to get tested and know their HIV status. It is hence recommended that with the major source of information being mass media, efforts should be made to increase programming and jingles on HIV/AIDS in local languages this will aid understanding and increases testing. Key words: Market women, awareness, knowledge, HIV/AIDS.
Highlights
In an average Nigerian community, women constitute a larger percentage of the population and their domestic roles cannot be over-emphasized
A survey conducted in Nigeria by National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey (NARHS, 2012) revealed that sexual intercourse begins much earlier in female respondents at median age of first sex to be around 16.9 years
HIV prevalence among adults is remarkably small (3.1%) compared to other sub-Saharan African countries such as South Africa (19.2%) and Zambia (12.9%), the size of Nigeria's population means 3.5 million people were living with HIV in 2015 (UNAIDS, 2016)
Summary
In an average Nigerian community, women constitute a larger percentage of the population and their domestic roles cannot be over-emphasized. Women play a major role in the economy most especially at the market place. They dominate the marketing channels of goods and services, especially in the informal sector, thereby contributing to household income generation and cumulatively the growth and sustainability of national J. A survey conducted in Nigeria by National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey (NARHS, 2012) revealed that sexual intercourse begins much earlier in female respondents at median age of first sex to be around 16.9 years. Local markets are dominated with women that lack formal education and adequate information about HIV/AIDS, involved in risky sexual behavior that further increase their chance of getting infected (Ilo and Adeyemi, 2010)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
