Lack of Knowledge Individual's HIV Status: The Obvious Risk Factor for Spread of AIDS/HIV among Youth in Developing Countries
by
Olawuyi Oluwafemi I
University College Hospital Ibadan Oyo State Nigeria
Coauthors: Salami Olalekan L

The percentage of AIDS/HIV is increasing every year in the third worlds, and this is reinforced by the factor that majority of youth in third worlds do not know his/her HIV status.

Description:

A self developed validated and reliable questionnaire [r= 0.87] was used to collect the data needed for the study and percentage was used to analyze the data. The population of the study was made up of youth [female and male] in higher institutions, working places, market places and community streets in Nigeria. The sample size is 50,0000 selected through simple random sampling technique. The mean age is 25.5.between 26 years .Three well developed research questions were used . Relative Risk [RR] calculated is 3.1, i.e. RR > 1, indicating that the factor is the risk factor, and the Confidential Interval[CI] for RR at 95% Significant level is 2.61< 3.1 <3.90 from the formula, CI Lower limit < RR < CI Upper limit. Lessons learned: 70% of the sample population did know his/her HIV status and had had sexual intercourse in the past before, out which 20% had the unprotected intercourse once or more, 25% had protected sex while 25% were not sure of using protection means. While, 20% have knowledge about self HIV status and had had sexual intercourse before. 10% have no knowledge about self HIV status and had no sexual intercourse before. Conclusion: AIDS/HIV still continues to defy vaccine researchers` exploits, and it is on increased spread in most third world countries. However, the lack of knowledge of individual’s HIV status remains the only highest risk factor for the spread of the killer disease in the third worlds.

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Date received: August 5, 2005