Abstract:
Background: The youth in Ghana between the ages of 15 and 24 are the group most at risk for contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Effective Human Immunodeficiency Virus prevention strategies are significantly hampered by adolescents' inaccurate knowledge, negative attitudes, and misconceptions about Human Immunodeficiency Virus transmission and prevention. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of SHS students aged 15-24 towards Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) infection, transmission, and prevention in Prampram, Ghana.
Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was adopted, using a validated self-administered questionnaire, to collect data from a stratified sample of 223 SHS students selected from the Prampram Senior High school in March 2024. The data collected was analysed using Stata version 17. Descriptive and logistic regression were conducted. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: The study found that 48.9% of students had good knowledge regarding Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency. Approximately, 43.9% had a positive attitude towards Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency transmission and prevention whilst 56.1% exhibited negative attitude. A total of 66.4% had favorable perceptions regarding Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency. There were no statistically significant associations found between sociodemographic variables and knowledge levels. Nevertheless, students who identified as Christians were twice as likely to have a positive attitude towards Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency transmission and prevention (aOR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.34 – 4.66, p=0.004). Similarly, SHS 3 students were 76% more likely to have favorable perceptions towards Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency transmission and prevention compared to SHS 1 students (cOR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.00 – 3.09, p=0.048).
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Conclusion: The findings revealed that while there was a considerable proportion of students exhibiting good level of knowledge regarding Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency, there is still room for improvement. Students had a good attitude towards Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency transmission and prevention, indicating the presence of misconceptions or gaps in understanding.
