Knowledge, attitude, and behavior of secondary (high) school students concerning HIV/AIDS in Enugu, Nigeria, in the year 2000.
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.


METHODS
A questionnaire was constructed to expose depth of knowledge and attitude of respondents concerning HIV/AIDS.


METHODS
This was a workshop venue, a civic center, outside a school compound.


METHODS
Three hundred and sixty students were randomly selected from 5 secondary (high) schools in Enugu, Nigeria.


METHODS
The questionnaire was administered just before the commencement of a workshop.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Nwokocha
Ada R C
AR
Department of Pediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. unnfacmed@infoweb.abs.net
Nwakoby
Bonny A N
BA
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009549:Nigeria; D012736:Sex Education / Q000592:standards*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires