HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Sexual Behavior Among Junior Secondary School Students in South Africa

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge and sexual behaviour among jun-ior Secondary School students in South Africa using a cross-sectional survey design. The sample con-sisted of 3150 students, with 44.1% were male and 55.9% female students. Their mean age was 15.75 yrs (SD=1.61) ranging from 13 to 24 years chosen from 150 schools in South Africa. Results indicate that 46% of the 16 year-old males and 20% of the 15.5 year-old females had already been sexually ac-tive. At first sex 63.8% of the male and 78.7% of the female students indicated that they had used a condom, but almost half (44%) of those who had had sex before had not used a condom at last sex. One quarter of the students (25.6%) indicated that they had had sex with someone much older than them (above 30 yrs), which was significantly higher among female (31.2%) than male students (22.9%) and significantly higher among non-urban (28.4%) than urban (17.2%) students. Twenty-seven percent of the students reported that they had sex for the exchange of gifts. At an average age of 15.75 years the number of self-reported lifetime sex partners was for more than half of respondents, more than one partner. Further, the study found that knowledge of HIV/AIDS was poor in some areas and more satisfactory in other areas, but generally was not satisfactory enough to sustain adequate HIV/AIDS response in a context of high and widespread HIV/AIDS prevalence. Gender, tendency to use condoms and being sexually active had no significant relationship to levels of knowledge. HIV/AIDS knowledge was significantly higher in urban than in non-urban schools.