Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices of In-School Youth in Tertiary Institutions in Lagos State to HIV/ AIDS

HIV/ AIDS seriously affect adolescents throughout the world. One third of all currently infected individuals are youth between the ages of 15 to 24 and half of all new infections occur in youth of the same age. People of this age range can be found abundantly in tertiary institutions studying for degrees in various professions. It therefore, is necessary to document their level of awareness in order to access their role in the spread or, otherwise of the infection in the state. 2 tertiary institutions were randomly selected from a list from the Lagos State Ministry of Education. 135 pre-tested questionnaires were administered to students in the Lagos State University, Ojo Campus (LASUO) and the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba Campus (MEDILAG). A percentage recovery of 91.9% and 97.8% respectively was obtained. 233 respondents fell in the age bracket of 16 to 25 years, the target age range for HIV/ AIDS. Majority of the respondents in both institutions could accurately define HIV/ AIDS and they could also accurately indicate the body fluids in which HIV can be detected. Most of the students in both institutions indicated correct ways through which HIV can be contracted. Unfortunately some respondents still picked mosquito bite, kissing and casual contact. In prevention, a high proportion of the respondents chose correct options. At least 60% protect themselves correctly from HIV infection. About 50% of the respondents didn't know their HIV status and at least a quarter of them did not want to know. From the results, the level of awareness of the students is high concerning the basic knowledge of HIV/ AIDS. The results were usually better in MEDILAG compared to LASUO though this was not always statistically significant. It can be concluded from this study that the level of awareness is high among youth in tertiary institutions. However, targeted education is still necessary to reach the remaining students whose awareness, and therefore behaviour, is still non-compliant. Keywords: HIV/ AIDS, KAP about HIV/ AIDS, In-school youth and HIV/ AIDS.NQJHM Vol. 15 (1) 2005: pp. 9-1