Factors associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude among young women of Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo: Cross-sectional study

5^th International Conference on HIV/AIDS, STDs and STIs

November 13-14, 2017 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Simon Afewerki Gebremedhin, Wang Youjie and Eyasu Habte

Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
Asmara College of Health Sciences, Eritrea

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J AIDS Clin Res

Abstract :

Background & Aim: Adequate comprehensive knowledge on HIV/AIDS and positive acceptance attitude towards People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) are very important and vanguards in averting and ending the epidemics. This study was aimed at assessing the associates of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge and acceptance attitude towards PLHA among young women aged 15-24 of Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Methods: A cross-sectional study using the 2013 Nigeria and 2013-14 Democratic Republic of Congo Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data. IBM SPSS version 22 was employed to multivariate logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Awareness of the young women of Nigeria (91.1%) and DRC (90.6%) was generally stable. Comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge (33.6% vs. 9.8% respectively) and acceptance attitude towards PLHA (28.4% vs. 3.2% respectively) was low. Age, place of residence, educational level, religion, marital status and wealth index were significant associates of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge. Similarly, age, educational level, religion, marital status, wealth index and comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge showed significant associations with acceptance attitude towards PLHA. After controlling the socio-demographic characteristics, higher comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge (OR 1.09, 95% C.I 1.01-1.17) and acceptance attitude towards PLHA women (OR 2.54, 95% C.I 2.17-2.98) was observed among young women in Nigeria than in DRC. Conclusion: A high level of HIV/AIDS awareness was observed. However the level of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge and acceptance attitude towards PLHA was very low. Hence educational intervention programs to raise the awareness and knowledge of the young women on HIV/AIDS are highly needed.

Biography :

Simon Afewerki Gebremedhin is a Database Management Expert in Bureau of Standards and Evaluation of National Commission for Higher Education since six years and also a part-time Lecturer for the past one and half year in Asmara College of Health Science, Eritrea. Currently, he is studying Master’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, School of Public Health in Wuhan, China.