Report on the awareness of HIV among Senior Secondary School Students in Nnewi-North and Nnewi-South Local Government Areas of Anambra State, Nigeria

Nwabueze SA¹, Azuike EC², Ikeako LC^3*, Ezeobi I⁴, Nwachukwu AC⁴, Aniagboso CC¹,Ezenyeaku CA¹ and Ayoka C⁵

¹Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University/University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria.

²Department of Community Medicine, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University/University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.

³Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University/University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.

⁴Department of Surgery, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University/University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.

⁵Faculty of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria.

Accepted August 10, 2017

The youths are central in the fight against HIV/AIDS. If the fight against HIV/AIDS will be successful, the youths must be knowledgeable regarding HIV/AIDs prevention and must optimally practice HIV/AIDs prevention. This was a comparative descriptive study for which Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select secondary school students from Nnewi-South and Nnewi-North Local Government Areas of Anambra State, Nigeria. Data was analysed electronically using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and the analysed data was presented in tables. Appropriate statistical tests were applied. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among the respondents, 98.7% and 98.3% from Nnewi-South and Nnewi-North respectively had heard about HIV. The commonest source of information on HIV/AIDS among the respondents was health personnels (36.7% and 49.7% in Nnewi-South and Nnewi-North respectively). Ninety five point three percent (Nnewi-South) and 93.7% (Nnewi-North) of respondents recognized sexual intercourse as a route of transmission. Among the respondents, 18.9% from Nnewi-South and 18.3% from Nnewi-North have had sexual intercourse. Majority (79.3% and 76.7%) of the respondents from Nnewi-South and Nnewi-North respectively, practice sexual abstinence. Only 20.0% and 16.3% of respondents from Nnewi-South and Nnewi-North respectively have been tested for HIV. Some misconception about routes of transmission and methods of prevention of HIV/AIDS were found. Negative attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS were present. Risky practices were also found among the students.

Key words: HIV prevention, secondary school students.

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