2 research outputs found
Knowledge, attitude and practice about sexually transmitted diseases among University students in Kampala
Background: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain an important
cause of morbidity and mortality among women in the child-bearing age.
In order to institute appropriate preventive measures there is need to
establish the profile of knowledge of the predisposing factors and
causation of STDs, attitude to sexual practice and sexual patterns
among the susceptible young people, such as university students. Study
population: Non medical university students, Makerere University
Design: Descriptive cross sectional study Methods: A detailed
questionnaire identifying socio-demographic characteristics, sexual
patterns, knowledge of STDs as well as attitudes towards prevention of
STDs was administered to 400 non-medical university students of
Makerere University. Results: Knowledge of the clinical features of
gonorrhoea and AIDS was high; most knew the predisposing factors for
STDs (multiple sexual partners 90%; unprotected sexual intercourse 93%;
rape 81%; sex outside marriage 78%, and sex under the influence of
alcohol 73%) but not so for syphilis. Males were three times more
likely to contract STDs (27%) than their female (9%) counterparts.
Whereas knowledge on methods of prevention was high (>90%) it was
not followed by appropriate behavioural patterns. More female (33.5%)
students had heard about Trichomonas vaginalis than males (23%);
(χ 2 = 17.1; < 0.0001). This study has shown that more female
than male students got information from their parents ( χ 2 =
25.3; p < 0.001) while more male students had their source of
information from previous sexual intercourse (χ 2 = 12.9; p =
0.001). Conclusion: The level of knowledge about STDs and their
prevention is not matched by sexual behavioural patterns, and male
students undertake more risky sexual behaviour. Sexual education should
be introduced at the university as a means of increasing students'
awareness about the problem and prevention of sexually transmitted
diseases including HIV/AIDS