CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Young people (youth) between ages 10 and 24 years comprise the largest and fastest growing population segment in Sub-Saharan Africa. From 1980 to 1995, the population of this age group grew to 56 percent early and unprotected sexual activities expose youth to the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. STIs are major public health problem especially due to their potentially serious complication when untreated as well as their relationship and HIV transmission. They cause considerable morbidity and premature mortality. Worldwide, young people under the age of 25 years, who represent nearly half of the world’s population, experience over 100 million new cases of STI annually.
Various surveys indicate that as in many other developing countries a high proportion of young people in Nigeria have unprotected penetrative sex by the age of 16 years (3-5) while 23 percent and 25 percent of primary school boys (12-20) years and girls (12-19) years respectively reported past experience of sexually transmitted disease (STDs) in Lagos a point prevalence range of 5-14 percent for various STD in a rural community-based sample of 1,104 youth has been observed.
Despite the fact that use of condoms as a protective measure against STIs was not investigated in his survey, several factor have however been reported to discourage use of preventive measure for STIs amongst the youth population sub-group. Issue like condoms reducing sexual pleasure, financial constraint, poverty and social norm that perpetuate women subordinate as well as traditional view of method have been incriminated.
Evidence from existing literature indicates that whilst basic sexual health information is reported by young people to be primarily acquired from peers, information on STDs including HIV/AIDs and pregnancy prevention amongst youth in Nigeria is usually acquired from the mass media (4,6,9) only a small proportion of students reported parent as primary source of information on issues of sexual health.
In a related study on our culture in Nigeria, formally it is observed that a relatively low proportion of parent were willing to take to their children on sex related issued in the study further noted that parent were of the opinion that such issues should be taught at school, indicating that sex related matter are sensitive and parents shun away from discussing them with their children.
On the other hand, the quality of information parents pass over to their children is doubtful and parent themselves worry that they do not have the information to give to their children. There are however, indications that youth people prefer to receive sexual health information from parent health workers, and teachers whom they also consider as credible sources of such information.
This study explored source of information and levels of knowledge on STDs among secondary school youth in an urban setting so as to equip the relevant organization and institutions with evidence based information when addressing STDs among youth in schools.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The study was a cross sectional pre and post type involving 202 community pharmacists in the 11 zones of Lagos State. Pre-tested questionnaires were self-administered to the community pharmacists before and after training on STI and syndromic management. The findings of this study showed that about 16% of the community pharmacist had good knowledge of STIs and 53% of them had good knowledge on syndromic management. After the training intervention, there was an improvement in their knowledge on STIs and syndromic management on STIs (54 and 70%, respectively). The assessment of the knowledge of student on STIs shows that there is need for continuous education in these areas, especially in the early detection and management of the condition.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
To find out if factors like source of information and levels of knowledge on STDs among secondary school youth in an urban setting so as to equip the relevant organization and institution with evidence based information when addressing STIs among youth in schools in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To establish the relationship between parent awareness and level of knowledge on sexually transmitted infection.
2. To establish the relationship between the quality of information parent pass over to their children.
3. To assess the knowledge of STDs and attitude towards sexual behavior and STDs among secondary school students.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION
1. What is the relationship between parent awareness and level of knowledge on sexually transmitted infection?
2. What is the relationship between the qualities of information parent pass over to their children?
3. What is the knowledge level of STD and attitude toward sexual behaviour and STDs among secondary school students?
1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
H0 : There is a positive relationship between parent awareness and level of knowledge on sexually transmitted infection.
H1 : There is positive relationship between the qualities of information parent pass over to their children.
H2 : There is positive relationship between knowledge levels of STDs among secondary school children.
1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
A lot of research has been done on level of knowledge and source of information on sexually transmitted disease among secondary school students at junior secondary student at Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The study will enable the researcher to make recommendation of junior secondary school policy makers especially these in the information units and Ministry of Education and Health on what policies and strategies can be employed to improved level of knowledge and source of information on sexually transmitted diseases in junior secondary school of learning.
The finding will help the Junior Secondary Education Board review its methods of admitting students in order to improve awareness level. The report will also be a source of reference for other researchers intending to study the level of knowledge and source of information on sexually transmitted diseases among secondary school students.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was conducted at secondary school in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos Nigeria using correlation design and sample of junior secondary school 1, 2 and 3 selected from all the six different classes in secondary school. The context scope covered factors such as risk and knowledge of the sexually transmitted infection, socio-economic status and school awareness on how to address the STIs among youth in schools. The study covered the period of academic year 2013/2014 session.
