Factors that Influence School Adolescents’ Exposure to HIV/AIDS at Hosanna Governmental High Schools; Hadiya Zone

Dayemo RD1* and Erdedo BB2

1School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wachemo University, Ethiopia
2Wachemo Comprehensive Secondary School, Ethiopia

^*Correspondance to: Rediet Dessalegne Dayemo 

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Abstract:

Background: The adolescent years are a time when kids become adults. A teenager is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a person who is between the ages of 10 and 19. Teenage sexual conduct endangers this group's physical, psychological, and social well-being and even claims lives. Therefore, in order to determine the trend of HIV/AIDS among this susceptible group and to conduct preventative and control measures, sexual behavior is a crucial indicator. The primary goal of the research is to evaluate the variables that affect high school students' exposure to HIV/AIDS at Hosanna High School. Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2018. A systematic random sampling technique will be used and the participant was selected by lottery method. Result: The survey included 394 teenagers in all, yielding a 100% response rate overall. Of the participants, 35.1% are literate, with 57% being Protestant and 54.34% being Hadiya. 53.8% of the kids were in grade 9, while 65.1% of the residents lived in rural areas. In this survey, 45% of participants said they had engaged in sexual activity. Of those who had ever engaged in sexual activity, 39.1% cited personal desire as the catalyst for their first sexual experience, while 23.3% cited peer pressure. 47.7% said they had previously dated more than one person. Just 19.4% of them regularly use condoms during sexual encounters, and 58.1% have never used one. The majority of students 98% knew of HIV/AIDS and other diseases that can be contracted through sexual activity, and 88.9% had heard of such illnesses. Conclusion and Recommendation: Teenagers at school engage in high-risk behaviors that put them at danger of contracting HIV/AIDS. The risky habits include unprotected sex, several sexual partners, early sexual entrance, and sex with risky groups. IEC should be regularly provided by health facilities, voluntarily HIV positive individuals, opinion leaders, religious leaders, and members of school anti-AIDS clubs.

Keywords:

High school; Adolescents; HIV/AIDS; Hosanna

Cite the Article:

Dayemo RD, Erdedo BB. Factors that Influence School Adolescents’ Exposure to HIV/AIDS at Hosanna Governmental High Schools; Hadiya Zone. Ann Clin Case Rep. 2024; 9: 2636..