AEGiS-06IAC: HIV-related beliefs, knowledge and behaviour among secondary school students in Ouagadougou.

6th International AIDS Conference

San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

HIV-related beliefs, knowledge and behaviour among secondary school students in Ouagadougou.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:339 (abstract no. Th.D.852)
Ouedraogo A, Lorenz N, Zina Y, Rehle T; Ministere de la Sante et de l'Action Sociale, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

OBJECTIVE: In order to plan school HIV education programs and to obtain baseline data on HIV-related beliefs, knowledge and behaviour, 466 secondary school students were interviewed.

METHODS: The study population was chosen by random cluster sampling. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used.

RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 18.2 years (range 13-21 years). The age of first sexual intercourse was 14.8 years. The majority of the students had already heard of AIDS and most knew that sexual intercourse is the most common way of transmission. Radio and television were the most often quoted sources of information on AIDS. More female than male students were afraid of AIDS. The students did not see themselves at risk but only marginal social groups. Use of condoms was poor. Male students quoted significantly more often the use of condoms than female students, who quoted most often a stable and monogamous relationship as a way of preventing infection.

CONCLUSIONS: HIV education programs will have to stress the fact that not only marginal groups are at risk. Programs should also try to reduce the discrepancy between the knowledge that condoms protect against infection and the poor actual use.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Condoms, Culture, Students, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, HIV Infections, Knowledge, Coitus, Questionnaires, HIV-1, Female, Male, ICA6

900620
ThD852