Knowledge and Attitude of Nigerian Female Undergraduate Students Toward STIs/HIV/AIDS Pandemic: University of Lagos Example

Abstract

This study examines the knowledge and attitude of female undergraduate students in Nigeria toward STIs/HIV/AIDS pandemic. Quantitative research technique was adopted to examine this objective using University of Lagos female students as study population. The specific research method adopted in the study is cross-sectional survey and total of 200 female students were randomly sampled during the period of data collection. Results of the study reveal that 75.0 percent of respondents are sexually active and many of them have multiple sexual partners. Consequently, about 10.5 percent of the sampled female students have contracted at least one form of STIs or the other. There is a significant association between current marital status of the female students and contraction of STIs at P < 0.01. Specifically, 33.3% of separated female students have ever contracted at least one form of STDs compared with 7.5 percent among single female students. In addition, there is a significant association between level of study and contraction of STDs by female students at P < 0.01. In particular, 60.0 percent of extra-years students reported that they have ever contracted STDs compared with 16.7 percent among 100-200 female students. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS pandemic is 100.0 percent and the students were able to mention the three main routes of contracting HIV infection. Responses on the perception of female students about HIV/AIDS show that about 81.0 percent belief that HIV/AIDS is actually in existence, but 19.0 percent stated that it is not real. In addition, 34.0 percent of the respondents argued that HIV/AIDS is curable. Information on practice of safe sex among sexually active students reveals that only 41.0 percent of them are using condom regularly during sexual intercourse. This shows that many of the sexually active undergraduate female students in Nigeria are highly vulnerable to the contraction of STIs/HIV. In conclusion, more effort should be put together to educate students of higher institutions in Nigeria about STIs/HIV/AIDS epidemic. This will remove erroneous belief about the disease and also encourage safe sex among them.

Gender and Behaviour Vol. 5 (2) 2007: pp. 1340-1359