RESEARCH PAPER
High HIV sero-prevalence and associated sexual behavioral risk factors among university students in Southeast Nigeria: our experiences from on-campus voluntary counselling and testing centers
Submission date: 2017-08-04
Final revision date: 2018-01-31
Acceptance date: 2018-02-12
Publication date: 2018-09-25
HIV & AIDS Review 2018;17(3):203-209
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
epidemiology - population studiessocio-medical aspects of HIV and AIDSeducational aspects of HIV and AIDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The global rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence among youths and adolescents is increasingly alarming, and sexual behavior still remains the major determinants in the spread of the disease. However, the objective of this study is to evaluate HIV sero-prevalence and associated sexual risk factors among undergraduate students, as a model to aid HIV sensitization, prevention, and intervention strategies in Nigeria.
Material and methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 670 undergraduate students aged 15-26 years of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, using well-structured questionnaires to obtain demographic and sexual behavioral data. Enzyme-based immunoassay technique was used by Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centers located in the institution to confirm HIV sero-status.
Results:
The overall prevalence of HIV among undergraduate students was relatively high 5.2% against the recent national estimation. The participants had an existence of increased sexuality, which encompasses multiple sex partnering and high frequency of sex in a short period of 6 months. HIV prevalence among female students (6.5%) was not statistically significant at p < 0.05, when compared with their male counterpart (4.3%).
Conclusions:
The results and observations on this study emphasize an urgent need for adoption of effective HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) intervention programs targeted at the general young individuals in Nigeria. Therefore, we find it crucial for the introduction of sexual health education into the school curriculum aimed at educating young individuals to adopt a healthy living.
The global rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence among youths and adolescents is increasingly alarming, and sexual behavior still remains the major determinants in the spread of the disease. However, the objective of this study is to evaluate HIV sero-prevalence and associated sexual risk factors among undergraduate students, as a model to aid HIV sensitization, prevention, and intervention strategies in Nigeria.
Material and methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 670 undergraduate students aged 15-26 years of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, using well-structured questionnaires to obtain demographic and sexual behavioral data. Enzyme-based immunoassay technique was used by Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centers located in the institution to confirm HIV sero-status.
Results:
The overall prevalence of HIV among undergraduate students was relatively high 5.2% against the recent national estimation. The participants had an existence of increased sexuality, which encompasses multiple sex partnering and high frequency of sex in a short period of 6 months. HIV prevalence among female students (6.5%) was not statistically significant at p < 0.05, when compared with their male counterpart (4.3%).
Conclusions:
The results and observations on this study emphasize an urgent need for adoption of effective HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) intervention programs targeted at the general young individuals in Nigeria. Therefore, we find it crucial for the introduction of sexual health education into the school curriculum aimed at educating young individuals to adopt a healthy living.
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