Abstract
Introduction:Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is essential for facilitating safer sexual behaviour hence, it is important in controlling HIV. Therefore, in the absence of a cure for the pandemic, adequate knowledge about the virus remains the backbone of prevention efforts.Objective:To assess the knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among undergraduate students at a rural university in Limpopo Province, South Africa.Methods:A cross-sectional descriptive quantitative survey-based study was conducted at a rural-based university in South Africa. Stratified random sampling was used to select 345 students. A self-administered questionnaire composed of 26 questions was utilised to gather data and the data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Multiple logistic regression and chi-square tests [χ2] were employed to determine the association between HIV/AIDS knowledge and demographic variables.Results:The overall HIV/AIDS knowledge score of students shows that (74)21% had a poor level of knowledge, (126)37% had average knowledge, and (145)42% had adequate knowledge. There was no significant difference between male and female students regarding their knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Factors, such as age, level of study, the field of study, and religion, were not significantly associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge. However, the race was significantly associated with knowledge with coloureds and mixed races, almost six times less knowledgeable than blacks.Conclusion:In conclusion, students had inadequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS facts, transmission routes, and prevention aspects were also prevalent among students. The present study accentuates the need for providing students with more HIV/AIDS education to fill HIV knowledge gaps and misconceptions.
Highlights
Knowledge about Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS is essential for facilitating safer sexual behaviour it is important in controlling HIV
The present study accentuates the need for providing students with more HIV/AIDS education to fill HIV knowledge gaps and misconceptions
The results indicated that most of the respondents were in the age group of 20-29 (288/83.5%), male (227/65.8%), were of African descent (307/89%), were in the fourth year (183/53%), from School of Law (53/15.4%) and Christianity (339/98.3%) was the most dominant religion among these respondents Table 1
Summary
Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is essential for facilitating safer sexual behaviour it is important in controlling HIV. In South Africa, about 7% of young people aged 15 - 24 were diagnosed with HIV [5]. Studies on youth sexual behaviours in South Africa show that young people continue to face the greatest risk of HIV infection [7]. Other surveys reported that South African youth (15-24 years) exhibit unsafe sexual behavioural practices. These include a high average number of partners, sex with unknown persons, inconsistent use of condoms, negative views about condom use, and abuse of various substances [8]. Other studies conducted in South Africa show that unplanned pregnancies are prevalent among youth aged 15-24 [7, 9] This is the age group in which Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) deal with students' admission into post-school education
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