A Study on Knowledge and Practice towards HIV and AIDs among Higher Secondary School Students in Araniko Highway Area of Bhaktapur District

Abstract

This is a field-based study to reflect the picture of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards HIV/AIDS among Higher Secondary School Students in Araniko Highway Area to Bhaktapur District. This study is mainly based on the primary data, collected from four private higher secondary schools of Bhaktapur District in 2013, which includes 152 late adolescent students taken for a sample size by adopting proportionate random sampling method. The higher proportion of the respondents was of 18 years of age. Most of the respondents were unmarried. Most of the respondents' parents were engaged in agricultural based occupation. The average family size of the respondents was 6.7 members. Only 29 percent of the respondents' fathers had primary level education.Almost all adolescent had heard about HIV and AIDS as most common type of STIs.Furthermore, almost all respondents knew the mode of transmission of STIs. Large proportion of the respondents stated the sexual contact with infected person is the most important mode of transmission followed by infected mother to fetus or new born baby as ways of transmission. ‘Use of condom during sexual intercourse’ was the most preferred way of prevention from STIs followed by ‘sex with only one partner’and ‘sexual abstinence during infection period’. Only one male reported that he had STIs in the past. The knowledge of HIV and AIDS was universal among respondents. More than 50 percent of the respondents reported there is difference between HIV and AIDS. In addition, almost 87 percent knew the preventive methods of HIV/AIDS. Majority of the respondents reported to use condom during sexual intercourse followed by “avoid sex with multiple partner” to prevent from HIV and AIDS. It is concluded that the knowledge, attitude and practice towards HIV and AIDs of higher secondary school were almost universal. Male students were more knowledgeable than female on symptoms of STIs. It is recommended that the perceptions perceived by the respondents can be the entry point for the planners and policy makers relating to these matters.