ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The objective of this paper is to study the knowledge of the students on Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Deficiency Disease (HIV/AIDS) among third year senior secondary school (SSS3) students in Port Harcourt metropolis. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional survey involving 1800 SSS3 students from thirteen secondary schools in Port Harcourt metropolis, selected by a two-stage stratified sampling technique, using a self administered structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Thirty one percent, 14.4%, 9.1% and 8% of the students studied identified sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, mother to child (vertical) transmission and intravenous drug use, respectively, as modes of transmission of HIV infection. Only 7.1% identified all the listed four modes of transmission of HIV whilst 0.7% of the students identified all the listed preventive methods. The level of knowledge of the students on HIV did not significantly increase with age (p = 0.745). Students from Federal school demonstrated more knowledge than students from state and private schools. Similarly, students from all-male school had more knowledge than students from all-female and co-educational schools. Students from high social class demonstrated more knowledge than those from middle and low social class. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the knowledge of the students on the transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS is poor. There is need to intensify HIV/AIDS education programmes among adolescents.
