Perception of personal risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency viral infection/acquired immune deficiency syndrome among people attending outpatient clinics in a teaching hospital of Nigeria

• Main Authors: P T Adegun, S A Adegoke, O S Solomon, I P Ade-Ojo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2013-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Public Health
• Subjects: Knowledge; Perception; Practices; HIV/AIDS
• Online Access: http://www.ijph.in/article.asp?issn=0019-557X;year=2013;volume=57;issue=2;spage=96;epage=99;aulast=
• ISSN: 0019-557X

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pandemic is on the increase with the highest burden in sub-Saharan Africa. This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2008 to assess the knowledge, self-perception of risk of contracting HIV infection and risky sexual practices among patients attending some out-patient clinics at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The knowledge on the modes of transmission and methods of prevention of HIV was high. Although, 53.0% of the study participants perceived themselves not to be at risk of contracting HIV infection, 80.6% were engaged in risky sexual practices within a year preceding the study. Significantly more participants with multiple sexual partners, past and present history of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) perceived themselves not to be at risk (P= 0.001, 0.008 and 0.001 respectively). Effective strategies must therefore be developed, to enhance risk-perception since poor risk-perception is known to mitigate behavioral change.