Abstract
This is a questionnaire survey designed to determine the HIV/AIDS awareness among some secondary school youths in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study sample consisted of 650 pupils from six secondary schools. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire about their personal background, sexual history, awareness of HIV/AIDS and attitude towards HIV/AIDS. The mean age of the students was 15 years. The results indicated that 99% of the pupils examined were aware of HIV/AIDS. Their sources of information were: the news media (35%), school (26%), personal communication (13%) and others (8%). On their modes of transmission and symptoms of AIDS, 77% and 52% respectively, answered correctly. Of those who are presently sexually active, 26% do not use condoms, yet only 6% thought they were at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Though only 27% of the participants accepted that their level of awareness had affected their sexual behaviours, it appears that students are now exercising caution in starting new relationship, e.g. 24% will insist on the use of a condom, 21% will be interested in finding out the number of previous partners of an intending partner and 26% will insist on abstinence. It was recorded that 29% will insist on a monogamous relationship. It is frightening, that they are unable to assess, correctly, their level of risk. This puts them at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Beyond efforts to spread awareness all interested bodies e.g. Government, teachers, Non Governmental Organizations, media should plan regular programmes to assess the level of success of existing interventions. As the ultimate aim is that pupils are able to develop consistent behaviours that enable them choose safe sexual practices.KEY WORDS: HIV /AIDS, Awareness, Secondary School, Port-Harcourt.
Highlights
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has become the major public health problem of the 20th century
This study is designed to examine the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among some secondary school youths in Port Harcourt, determine their sources of information and determine the effect of awareness on sexual behaviour
This study was carried out to ascertain the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among pupils in PortHarcourt, Rivers State
Summary
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has become the major public health problem of the 20th century. Since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in 1981, there has been a rapid spread of the disease worldwide with majority of the affected nations being developing countries, in SubSaharan Africa (Lewis, 2006). Adolescents are a group to be concerned about in the rapidly growing HIV/AIDS pandemic. This is because their physical, psychological and social attributes make them vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) (Population Reports, 2002). Nearly 12 million young people are living with HIV/AIDS with over 7,000 more getting infected everyday, which is about five per minute (UNAIDS & WHO, 1998). The information acquired from this study will act as a measure of the success of existing intervention programmes as well as reveal lapses that should be addressed in our fight against this dreaded disease
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.
