Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior of Secondary (High) School Students Concerning HIV/AIDS in Enugu, Nigeria, in the Year 2000

Study Objective: To investigate the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of secondary (high) school students concerning HIV/AIDS as a way of assessing the need for inclusion of reproductive health education in the school curriculum. Design: A questionnaire was constructed to expose depth of knowledge and attitude of respondents concerning HIV/AIDS. Setting: This was a workshop venue, a civic center, outside a school compound. Participants: Three hundred and sixty students were randomly selected from 5 secondary (high) schools in Enugu, Nigeria. Intervention: The questionnaire was administered just before the commencement of a workshop. Main Outcome Measure: All the students responded to the questionnaire but none responded to all the questions. Results: The students had a defective knowledge of the disease. They were aware and afraid of the disease as being deadly but not sure of the cause, nature, or modes of transmission and prevention, except that illicit sexual activity should be avoided. Their attitude and behavior were consequently defective. Their main source of information was the media. Conclusion: There is need to provide students with correct, detailed, and broad-based information on reproductive health as part of the school curriculum to help them acquire adequate knowledge and develop appropriate attitude and behavior towards HIV/AIDS and other STDs.