HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Risk-Taking Behaviours among Youths at a University in Enugu, Nigeria

Abstract

 A national sentinel survey of 2006 shows that Enugu State in south-eastern Nigeria is the worst hit by HIV infections. Despite numerous control strategies having been implemented, the state was still reported by another national HIV sentinel survey in 2010 as the worst hit by HIV/AIDS within the zone, and that youths are the most affected. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional descriptive survey to assess the HIV/AIDS knowledge and risk-taking behaviours of youths at a federal university in Enugu, south-eastern Nigeria. They adopted a multistage sampling method to recruit 460 unmarried, consenting students between 15 and 30 years of age, from three faculties of the university. Almost 90 per cent of the university youths had a sound knowledge of key concepts related to HIV/AIDS; despite this, a subset (7.39%) still engaged in risk-taking behaviours. The major risky behaviours identified include having premarital sex, having multiple sexual partners, the sharing of shaving or razor blades, the use of public clippers and tribal marking. Although an analysis of variance demonstrated no significant relationship (t = −0.036) between university youths’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS and their related risk-taking behaviour, risky behaviours were found to be more (13%) among respondents who had insufficient or incorrect knowledge of the disease. An analysis of covariance, however, showed that gender and socio-economic backgrounds were not determinants of the HIV/AIDS risk-taking behaviours of these youths. Therefore, factors such as attitude or culture are areas that should be focused on, and should then, along with educational awareness campaigns, help to reduce the spread and prevalence of the disease.