HIV/AIDs: Knowledge, Attitudes and Belief
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The major objective of this study is to examine HIV/AIDS: knowledge, attitudes and beliefs among University of Lagos undergraduate students.
Other specific objectives include:
- To investigate the effects of poor knowledge about HIV/AIDS on undergraduates of University of Lagos.
- To determine the extent to which undergraduates of University of Lagos are enlightened about HIV/AIDS.
- To examine if there are courses in the university that promote awareness on HIV/AIDS.
- To examine the relationship between age and undergraduates of University of Lagos in tackling issues associated with HIV/AIDS.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is caused by a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that weakens the immune system, making the body susceptible to and unable to recover from other opportunistic diseases that lead to death through these secondary infections. This is a serious public health and socioeconomic problem in many countries around the world. The most affected countries are found in sub-Saharan Africa, especially those located in the eastern, central, and southern parts of the continent. HIV/AIDS remains a major concern in Kenya because of relatively high prevalence rates reported among adult populations and significantly higher rates among younger ages (Ministry of Health, 2001). The prevalence rate of HIV is lower in rural areas, where about 80 percent of the total population lives, than urban areas. About 75 percent of all AIDS cases occur among people in the most economically productive age group, 20 to 45 years (Ministry of Health, 2001). The deaths of these individuals constitute a serious economic and social tragedy in the lives of surviving family, friends, and employers. The principal mode of transmission of HIV is through heterosexual contact. This accounts for 75 percent of all HIV infections in Kenya (Ministry of Health, 2001). Although the probability of transmitting HIV in a single act of intercourse may be low, a number of factors increase the risk. These factors include the viral load of the infected partner; the presence in either partner of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as syphilis, chancroid, or herpes, which cause genital ulcers; lack of male circumcision; or trauma during sexual contact. A significant number of Kenyan adults suffer from STDs and some have multiple sexual partners, which increases their vulnerability and exposure to HIV. Consequently, most new HIV infections are because of heterosexual contact. This is followed in importance by perinatal transmission, whereby the mother passes the HIV virus to the child during pregnancy, at the time of birth, or through breastfeeding. Approximately 30 to 40 percent of babies born to HIV-positive mothers in Kenya will themselves be infected with the HIV virus. The remainder may not be infected by HIV but are at risk of becoming orphans when one or both of their parents die from AIDS-related diseases. More than 100,000 children under the age of five are estimated to be infected (Ministry of Health, 2002). Programmes designed to slow the spread of HIV need to focus on reducing transmission through sexual contact. Transmission risk is also high among men who have sex with other men, through blood transfusions, and use of unsterilised needles and skin piercing instruments. The future direction of this pandemic depends on the level of knowledge of how the virus is spread and changes in sexual behaviour. The information obtained from the 2003 KDHS provides a unique opportunity to assess the level of knowledge and practices regarding transmission of the AIDS virus and other STDs. The main objective of this chapter is to determine the level of relevant knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours at the national and provincial levels and for socioeconomic subgroups of the population. The results are useful for AIDS control programmes to target those individuals and groups of individuals most in need of information and those who are at risk of contracting the disease. The 2003 KDHS included a series of questions related to HIV/AIDS and STDs in both the woman’s and man’s questionnaires. Both female and male respondents were asked if they have ever heard of AIDS; what a person could do to avoid getting AIDS; if they know a person with AIDS or who died of AIDS; if they are aware of mother-to-child transmission; and if they ever talked to their spouse about ways of preventing AIDS. Other questions concerned stigma or discrimination towards people with HIV/AIDS; attitudes towards teaching children about condom use; chances of getting HIV/AIDS; testing for HIV/AIDS; knowledge of other STDs and infection with STDs.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to HIV/aids: knowledge, attitudes and beliefs
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on HIV/aids: knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. 200 student of university of Lagos were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain HIV/AIDS: knowledge, attitudes and belief. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of HIV/AIDS: knowledge, attitudes and belief
Summary
This study was on HIV/AIDS: knowledge, attitudes and belief. Four objectives were raised which included: To investigate the effects of poor knowledge about HIV/AIDS on undergraduates of University of Lagos. To determine the extent to which undergraduates of University of Lagos are enlightened about HIV/AIDS, to examine if there are courses in the university that promote awareness on HIV/AIDS, to examine the relationship between age and undergraduates of University of Lagos in tackling issues associated with HIV/AIDS. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 students of University of Lagos. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made final year students, year 4 students, year 3 students and year 2 students were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The present study shows a dismal picture of HIV awareness among the urban, educated adolescents, which indirectly points out to much worse awareness among the rural, illiterate counterparts. In view of the fact that globally 6000 new infections occur each day among the 15-24 year olds, the widespread ignorance about HIV/AIDS among female adolescents in Srinagar district is a serious matter and needs to be addressed appropriately through intensive HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in all the high and higher secondary schools of the state
Recommendation
Educational sector should carry out awareness and orientation to educate nation about HIV/AIDS, the knowledge and the stigmatization about it.
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