HIV/AIDS KNOWLEDGE AND RISK BEHAVIOURS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UMUNZE, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined HIV/AIDS knowledge, risk behaviours, and the relationship between knowledge and behavioural practices among secondary school students in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State. The study employed a descriptive survey design, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 300 students selected through stratified random sampling from seven public secondary schools in Umunze. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean) and chi-square inferential statistics. Findings revealed that while students possessed high factual knowledge of HIV/AIDS, they still engaged in risky sexual behaviours such as unprotected sex, multiple sexual partnerships, sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and low HIV-testing uptake. The chi-square analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between knowledge and risk behaviours (χ² (1, N = 300) = 7.88, p = .005), indicating that students with higher HIV knowledge were less likely to engage in risky practices. The study concludes that knowledge alone is insufficient to produce protective behaviours unless accompanied by behavioural skills, youth-friendly services, and supportive school environments. It recommends integrating skill-based HIV education into school curricula, expanding peer-led programmes, strengthening adolescent-friendly testing and counselling services, and enhancing collaboration between schools and the health sector to reduce HIV vulnerability among adolescents.