Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Abstract
Background
In 2005 AIDS claimed another 3 million lives and it relentlessly threatens millions more.
Despite global and national efforts to quell the pandemic, 40.3 million people are
currently living with HIV - the highest level ever. Nearly 5 million new cases occur each
year, with almost every region of the world reporting increasing numbers. Yet amid the
grim statistics an estimated 250,000 to 350,000 deaths have been prevented this past year
alone because of access to antiretroviral therapy. Kenya has actually been able to lower
its HIV prevalence rate from l3.4% in 2000 to 7% in 2003 and even lower if recent
media reports are anything to go by. This has. been largely due to heavy investment in
prevention programs. There is need to know the KAP of the medical students who are the
future doctors in this country because they occupy a unique and privileged position to
change people's behaviour and practice.
Objective
The objective ofthe study was to determine whether university medical students do avoid
risky sexual behaviour and consider or practice sexual abstinence as a means of avoiding
contracting HIV.
Setting
The Chiromo campus and the Kenyatta National Hospital campus of the Faculty of
Medicine of the University of Nairobi.
Study population
All first year and fifth year medical students of the University of Nairobi.
Study design
This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in form of a self administered
questionnaire in one day.
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Outcome measures
These were knowledge of HIVIAIDS, sexual attitudes, sexual behaviour and attitudes and
practice of abstinence.
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Results
A total of 383 medical students completed the questionnaire. They consisted of 267 first
year and 116 fifth year students. 54.5% were male and 45.5% were female. A majority
(73.1%) of all the students were in the age bracket 19-24 years. There was a high level of
knowledge of mVI AIDS among all the students, although fifth year students showed
greater knowledge levels concerning the technical aspects 0f diagnosis of my. 34.9% of
all the students got their information on HIV/AIDS from the print'eiectronic media. A
larger number of fifth year students compared to first years (58.6% vis 38.9%; p=0.000)
had undergone an HIV test. A majority of the students from both c1asses( 76.4% of first
years and 70.7% of fifth years) deemed themselves at low/no risk of contracting HIV and
of these 35.6% cited abstinence as the reason. Older male students were more likely to
have multiple sexual partners (p= 0.03), engage in premarital sex (p=0.0l) and believed
using condoms resulted in reduced sexual pleasure (p=0.001). Of the total population
54.8% were primary sexual abstainers and 5.5% were secondary abstainers. Females
(79.7%) were more likely to practice abstinence than males (51.4%) in the abstinent sub
group (p<0.00l). First year students (70.2%) were more likely to be abstinent than their
fifth year (52.3%) counterparts (p=0.00l). Ofthe sexually active students, almost a third
(32%) of the respondents had multiple sexual partners. Faith (80%) and moral values
(86.9%) were cited as the main reasons for practicing abstinence. Only 1.3% of the study
population were of the view that they cannot practice abstinence because it was not
practical.
Conclusjon
HIVIAIDS awareness was universal in this study and the students were aware of, and a
good number did practice, sexual abstinence as a means of prevention of HIV
transmission. Age, sex and moral values l religious beliefs played a major role in
determining the practice of abstinence.
Citation
Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2007Publisher
University of Nairobi, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology