Prevalence of Gonorrhea and Associated Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among High School Students in Burao City, Somaliland

Abstract

Background: Gonorrhea, caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhea, is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI) that significantly impacts the health and well-being of individuals worldwide. It is the second most common preventable and treatable STI. In women, gonococcal infections often do not exhibit noticeable symptoms, leading to undetected and untreated infections. This can result in severe complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Hence, the objective of this research was to evaluate the prevalence of gonorrhea infection among high school students in Burao city, Somaliland, while also examining their knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with this infection. Methods: A quantitative method was employed to conduct an institutional-based cross-sectional study in selected schools in Burao city. The sampling method used was systematically random. To collect the data, a structured questionnaire with four parts was utilized. The collected data underwent a thorough process of checking for completeness, cleaning, coding, and entry using Kobo toolbox software (ODK). Subsequently, the data were exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were utilized to describe the study population to relevant variables. Furthermore, the chi-square test and odds ratio were performed at a 95% confidence interval using a p value of less than 0.05. Results: The study included 384 participants, with almost equal sex distributions. The response rate was high at 99%. The majority of participants had a negative attitude toward gonorrhea, while a significant proportion had accepted practices. The prevalence of gonorrhea was 2.1%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that good knowledge and a positive attitude toward gonorrhea were associated with higher levels of acceptable sexual practices. Additionally, practices and attitudes toward gonorrhea were strongly associated with each other. Conclusion: According to this study, the level of awareness regarding gonorrhea infection among schoolchildren in Burao city was significantly inadequate. Even though more than half of the students reported no sexual relationships, a considerable number of them were still engaging in risky sexual behaviors such as unprotected sex.