Knowledge about HIV/AIDS and sexual practice among University of Ibadan Students

Abstract

This study assessed the knowledge about HIV/AIDS and sexual practice of University students in Ibadan, Nigeria. Two hundred and seventeen students from the University of Ibadan were randomly selected in 2001 from the College of Medicine,Daculties of Arts and Law and completed a questionnaire. The ages of the students ranged from 16-23 with a mean of 19.05 years; 98.2% of the students reported blood transfusion as a major route of transmission of HIV/ AIDS. This was followed by use of unsterilized needle (97.2%) and unprotected sexual intercourse (93.5%). The heterosexual route of transmission was rated third. Sexual practice of the students showed 29% were sexually active. 91.2% considered HIV/AIDS a serious health problem. Ninety-two percent (92.6%) reported sticking to one uninfected partner as a means of prevention and 88% reported use of condom as preventive measure. However, only 16.6% of the total respondents claimed to have used condom with their partners within the last 3 months. Although they are knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS, many do not practice what they know. University of Ibadan students are sexually active and their under-rating of heterosexual route as a major route of transmission suggests the urgent need for an organized educational programme of HIV/AIDS prevention for the University students.