Awareness and Response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) among University Students in Abeokuta, Nigeria

摘要

The acquisition of knowledge and accessibility to information is essentially relevant to Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) in any developing country. VCTs are increasingly important in global response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome HIV/AIDS. This study was carried out between February and June 2014, to ascertain the awareness and response of University students to HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counseling and Testing. A total of four hundred and sixty four students were interviewed with the aid of structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed for simple descriptive (mean and mode) and inferential (Chi square) statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows. Results revealed that 52.2% of the respondents were females while 47.8% were males. Most respondents were between ages 20-24 (70.5%) and single (90.8%). A greater number of the respondents (83%) disagreed with the notion that HIV/AIDS can be contacted by sharing toilet facilities while 91% and 94.4% identified unprotected sex and the re-use of sharp objects used by HIV/AIDS patients as means of contracting HIV. The study on the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS revealed an appreciable level of awareness (91.1%). A large number of the respondents (77.6%) claimed that although they were aware of the VCT centre of the University but had never visited it. The study showed that there existed a significant relationship (p < 0.05) between the respondents’ age, sex, marital status, sexual information and perception, knowledge, attitudes and awareness of HIV/AIDS. This study recommends that social network platforms, ‘edu-tainment’, role models stories, discussion forums, behavior modifications, radio and drama would bring a decline in the transmission of the Virus within the University campus and increase students’ patronage of the VCT centre of the University.