Determinants of HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Among High School Students in Yeka Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2021-12
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) regarding HIV/AIDS is one of the corner stone in the fight against the disease. Youths, especially high school students, are most vulnerable to infection, among others due to lack of adequate information, bad attitude towards PLWHIV/AIDS, and risky sexual practices. Evaluation of their KAPs remains crucial in designing appropriate prevention strategies. This study sought to investigate the determinants of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention knowledge, attitude and practice among high school students in Yeka Sub City of Addis Ababa. The study employed multivariate binary logistic regression to analyze the patterns and determinants of the disease, using crosssectional data collected from randomly selected 608 students aged 15–22 years. All respondents reported to have heard about HIV/AIDS before. However, misconceptions about routes of transmission were observed in 20 % of respondents. In addition, out of the total study participants, 89 (14.6%) have ever been exposed to sexual intercourse, but only 20 (22.47%) of them used condom during intercourse. In terms of determinants, students, who were at higher grade level, were more likely to have higher HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention knowledge than those in lower grade levels (AOR: 15.5; P=0.001: 95 % CI: 3.036- 80.05). Respondents whose mothers achieved secondary education compared to those students whose mothers were unable to read and write were more likely to have more positive attitude towards PLWHIV/AIDS (AOR: 0.24; P=0.007; 95% CI: 0.06-66). Students had a satisfactory level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. None-the-less misconceptions about HIV transmission, intolerance and discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHIV, and risky sexual practices were observed among study participants, which can be minimized by boosting their knowledge through sex education since the latter was their main source of information on HIV/AIDS. In addition, maternal education status and fathers’ education status are also determinants of high school student HIV/AIDS KAP so there should reinforcement of educational interventions particularly in the secondary school and Parents should be thought, and work with to change their attitude and belief about communication with their children in order to protect youth from the virus.
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Keywords
HIV/AIDS, knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), PLWHIV/AIDS determinants transmission & prevention