Knowledge, attitudes to HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour of students in a tertiary institution in south-western Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the knowledge, attitude and sexual behaviour of students in a tertiary institution in south western Nigeria with regard to HIV/AIDS. METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted between January and March 2005. Information was collected from 368 students of a tertiary institution in Ede, Osun State, Nigeria. Participants were selected by a multi-stage sampling method and data obtained using a semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire. RESULTS: Most (89.4%) respondents were aware of the existence of HIV/AIDS, and knew the aetiology, routes of transmission, signs and symptoms, and preventive measures against the disease. While a little over half (59.8%) of the respondents revealed that they could hug people with HIV/AIDS, one out of four (27.2%) stated that these persons should be isolated from the community. Less than a quarter (22.3%) of the respondents believed that they were vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. More than half (58.2%) had ever had sex; the mean age at their first sexual exposure (for all respondents) was 16.7 +/- 4.4 years. Almost half (48.2%) of the 191 currently sexually active respondents had multiple sexual partners. Of the sexually active respondents, 75.9% claimed to have ever used condoms; among these, male respondents were more likely to have ever used condoms than their female counterparts (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study revealed a gap in the knowledge of HIV/AIDS and an inappropriate sexual behaviour among respondents. Meaningful strategies, such as an innovative and culturally sensitive adolescent sexual and reproductive health programme that focuses on modification of sexual behaviour should be adopted to allow young people to prevent transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus.

Sociodemographic characteristics and health risk behaviours among students of a tertiary institution in south western Nigeria.

The identification of early risk factors among undergraduate students that impact on health, both mental and physical is a primary focus of this survey. This is more so since people suffering from an illness may not be currently engaging in any health risk behaviours but might have engaged in such behaviours before they developed the illness condition. Therefore the identification of health risk behaviours among this group of people would permit a better understanding of localized patterns of health risk behaviours as well as help to target intervention activities towards this particular group of people.The study is based upon data obtained from a cross-sectional survey of students in a tertiary institution in South Western Nigeria. Participants voluntarily and anonymously completed a baseline semistructured questionnaire which elicited information on demographic information, sexual behaviours and substance use among others. Of the 368 respondents, majority 225 (60.9%) are in the age group of 20-24 years. A total of 152 (41.3%) are either currently or have previously indulged in heavy drinking of alcohol and a statistically significant association (p<0.05) was found between the use of alcohol and having multiple sexual partners and use of commercial sex workers. Ninety-four (25.5%) and 52 (14.1%) are currently smoking or have smoked cigarette and marijuana before respectively; while 56 (15.2%) are currently using or have before used narcotic drugs. The relationship between hard drug use and non use of condom was statistically significant (p<0.05). Ninety-two (25.0%) have more than one sexual partners at the same given period; the male respondents indulged more in having multiple partners than the female and the result was statistically significant (p<0.05). As many as 155 (47.8%) of the 324 (88.0% of the respondents) sexually active respondents had never used condom during sexual intercourse. Also 88 (27.1%) of this group of the respondents have had sexual relationship with commercial sex workers (CSW) at one time or the other. Condom use was low among the sexually active respondents. Only 29.3% of the respondents always use condom when having any sexual relationship. This study has shown that students in this survey indulge in health risk behaviours such as "unsafe sexual practices", alcohol, cigarette smoking and other substance use. The males are more involved in having multiplicity of sexual partners than their female counterpart. The study also revealed a significant association between the use of alcohol and in having multiple sexual partners. Comprehensive health education and intervention programs are needed to influence positive behavioural change among this group of students and this will require working in partnership with schools authorities and other local community groups.

Knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes to female genital mutilation (FGM) in Shao community of Kwara State, Nigeria.

To determine the level of knowledge, belief, and assess the attitude to female genital mutilation (FGM) and its complications in Shao community, Nigeria, a cross-sectional descriptive study with a health education intervention was used. A majority of respondents (99.5%) understood female circumcision to mean cutting off parts of the female genitals. There was a high level of knowledge regarding most of the complications of FGM as more than 50% of respondents knew at least four complications of FGM. Awareness of the global anti-FGM campaign was also high (78.8%). The most common reasons proffered for the practice of FGM were based on tradition or religion. Paternal grandfathers (50.0%) and fathers (21.0%) were cited as decision makers in the family most often responsible for requesting FGM. Post-intervention results showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of respondents who know more complications of FGM and who have no intention of circumcising future female children. Despite a high level of knowledge regarding the complications of FGM and a high level of awareness of the global campaign against it, there still exists a high prevalence of practice of FGM in this community. FGM remains a pressing human rights and public health issue. It is our recommendation that this health education intervention strategy be replicated nationwide especially using mass media.

5-yearly monitoring of trends of substance use among secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria, 1988-1998.

This report describes the trends of substance use among youths by comparing data collected among senior secondary school students in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria at 5-yearly intervals (1988-1998). In 1998, data were collected from 750 senior secondary school students from six secondary schools in the study area using a self-report 117-item questionnaire based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for student substance-use surveys. Substances investigated in the survey were alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, strong and mild stimulants, hypnosedatives, antibiotics, cocaine, heroin, organic solvents and hallucinogens. These data were compared with similar ones collected from students with similar characteristics, and from the same six schools in 1988 and 1993. It was found that high use substances were mild stimulants, antibiotics and alcohol, while cigarettes, cannabis, heroin and cocaine remained low-use substances. Most current users of all the substances were occasional users, except for cigarettes and cannabis where more frequent (daily and weekly) usage was reported. There was also a significant increase in the use of alcohol, organic solvents, mild stimulants and hypnosedatives, and a significant reduction in cigarette smoking over the three data waves. No gender difference was recorded for alcohol, hypnosedatives and cocaine use in the three data waves. It was concluded that although some substances recorded significant increases in their usage over the three data waves, the current use rates were still generally low and comparable to those of other Nigerian studies. Substances used were those employed mainly for study purposes (mild stimulants and hypnosedatives), and most students used the substances only on occasional basis. Nonetheless, in view of the rapidly changing socio-economic life of Ilorin City, it has become imperative to continue with the 5-yearly monitoring of trends.