RURAL URBAN DIFFERENCES IN HIV/AIDS BELIEFS, KNOWLEDGE AND AT-RISK PRACTICES IN EGBEDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, LAGOS STATE

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a major public health concern. Massive campaigns are on Nigeria to sensitize the populace about the modes of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. The mass media and outreach programs are veritable channels through which information about HIV/AIDS is discussed in urban and rural communities. While previous studies had focused on HIV/AIDS knowledge, beliefs and at-risk practices of urban youths. Information is scanty about their counterparts in the rural areas. The objective of the study was to determine the rural-urban differences in HIV/AIDS beliefs, knowledge and at-risk practices of in-and-out school adolescents in Egbeda Local Government Area (LGA) Oyo State, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive cross sectional survey of in-and-out school adolescent in Egbeda LGA. In-school respondents were selected from eight randomly selected secondary schools (4 each in urban and ruralarea) and out-of-school respondents from car parks, markets and shops. All three hundred and forty-six (346) respondents met the study inclusion criteria of being conversant with at least one local mass media programme that focuses on HIV/AIDS. Pre-tested, semi structured questionnaires and twenty Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were used for data collection. Data analysis was done using the SPSS. 53 percent urban and 43.1% rural adolescents reported listening to radio daily. One hundred and sixteen (33.5%) urban in-school, 33.2% rural in-school, 14.5% urban out-of-school and 14.2% rural out-of-school respondents believed AIDS is real, while 3.2% in-school respondents believe AIDS does not kill. Some (35.8%) urban-in-school, 13.2% urban-out-school, 33.7% rural in-school and 17.5% rural out-of-school adolescents believed someone with HIV cannot look healthy. Some (16.5%) urban in-school, 9.5% urban out of school, 14.7% rural in school and 8.1% rural out-of –school adolescents opined that people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) were receiving the reward of their sins; 15.3% urban in school, 10.9% urban out-of-school, 17.3% rural in school and 10.4% rural out-of-school adolescents said PLWHAs should be isolated from non-infected persons 17.9% urban in-school, 6.6% urban out-of-school, 14.7% rural in school and 5.2% rural out of school adolescents reported taking medicines to prevent HIV/AIDS. Thirty (8.7%) urban in school and 11.8% rural in school adolescents said they had had unprotected sex. Some (33.5%) urban and 28.3% rural adolescents correctly said that the presence of an STI increased risk of HIV/AIDS; 21.4% urban and 20.8% rural respondents claimed they practiced abstinence from sex to prevent infection. A good proportion of the adolescents (63.3%) believed that they were at high, 14.2% at low risk and 22.0% at no risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Male FGD participants perceived women to be at a higher of contracting HIV/AIDS because women are more promiscuous than men. Discussants opined that HIV/AIDS programs are meant for youth because adults are not at risk. In conclusion, both rural and urban out of school adolescents held misconceptions about modes of HIV/AIDS transmission and stigmatization attitudes to PLWHAs, while rural and urban students had a lower knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention as against their out-of school counterparts.