Knowledge and Attitudes on STIs and HIV/AIDS (A Study of Higher Secondary School Students in Nuwakot District)

Abstract

The main purpose of the study is to examine the knowledge and attitudes on STIs and HIV AIDS of Higher Secondary School students in Nuwakot district. The study is based on primary data. The higher number of respondents are Brahmin, (40.38%), majority of the respondents are Hindu (82.05%), and a large proportion ofrespondents (98.72%) have studied in government schools. Most of therespondents' father (27.56%) have primary level of education and mothers have attended non formal education. Most of the respondents' parents are engaged in agriculture occupation, the average family size of the respondents is 5-10 members. Almost all (99.36%) respondents have heard about STIs and higher proportion (99.35%) know the transmission of STIS.Malesaremoreknowledgeable abouttheways of transmission of STIS than female respondents.Most important source of information on STIs is Radio(92.05%) than teacher (81.29%). Knowledge of HIV/AIDS is universal. Higher proportion (80%) of respondents have known full form of HIV/AIDS. More than half(53.32%) reported difference between HIIV and AIDS. Most of the respondents (83.97%) know the ways of transmission of HIV/AIDS.Almost (97%) allreported that sexual contact is ways are of the mostimportant of transmission. Almost 82 percent know the preventivemethods of HIV/AIDS.Majority of the respondents (84.56%) reporteduse of condom during sexual intercourse. About 72 percent respondents reported that HIV/AIDS can not be cured. The main source of HIV/AIDS is Radio (85.89%) and TV (86.53%). Almost all (98.0%) of the respondents reported that they should love and respect to the infected persons. Respondents suggest that community should encourage the infected persons so that they would

not hesitate to survive in society like other normal people. The important role can be played by the government and non-governmental organizations as well as individuals to make aware to the citizens about STIS and HIV/AIDS.