Knowledge and Perception of Students towards Sexually Transmitted Infections in Secondary Schools in Anambra State

Abstract

Sexually Transmitted Infection is a world-wide issue in health, which tents to affect people of every tribe or race, irrespective of gender, class, or educational level. This study investigated the knowledge and perception of students towards Sexually Transmitted Infections in Anambra state. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study and four null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The design for the study was descriptive survey. The study has a population of fifty eight thousand, eight hundred and fifty-two (58,852) students in all public senior secondary schools in Anambra state. A sample of three hundred and sixty-four (364) senior secondary students. Comprising of one hundred and eighty-two (182) male and one hundred and eighty-two (182) female students was obtained through disproportionate stratified random sampling technique. The instrument titled “Knowledge and Perception of Students towards Sexually Transmitted Infections in Secondary Schools (KPSSTIT)” was used for collection of data. The instrument was developed by the researcher. The data collected were analysed using mean and independent-sample t test. The findings of the study among others indicate that: both male and female students of Anambra state have a moderate knowledge of signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections; their knowledge of modes of transmission of sexually transmitted infections is moderate; while the female students knowledge of the control measures of signs and symptoms of STI is very high compared to the male which is high. Similarly, the study also revealed that both male and female students of Anambra state have the right perception towards Sexually Transmitted Infections. Based on the findings and their implications, it was recommended among others, that there is need for the collective efforts of health counselors, school administrator and teachers to design programmes for secondary school students on the knowledge and perception STIs, to help the students avoid them.