HIV/AIDS and STI related knowledge, attitude and practice among high school students in Kathmandu valley.

OBJECTIVE To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of high school students regarding HIV/ AIDS and STI and to determine if a school education programme would bring about statistically significant positive change in the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding HIV/AIDS and STI. METHODS The study was conducted among 1012 students of various schools in Kathmandu Valley (Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur). The tool for assessment was confidentially administered closed questionnaire both before and after the education programme of 45 minutes single class, standardized education package. RESULTS Knowledge on some aspect of the disease was quite low in the study group. 45.8% had prior knowledge of HIV, 65.2% knew that HIV/AIDS could be transmitted by sharing same needle, 46.2% knew that vaccine is not yet available for HIV/AIDS. Knowledge about STI was also quite low, 41.5% knew that pus in the urine is a symptom of STI and 41.7% knew that STI is curable. 4.2% of the study group had previous sexual intercourse, 64.2% had sexual intercourse with friend and 35.17% had sexual intercourse with commercial sex workers. 1.8% would commit suicide if they contracted HIV/AIDS. According to sex wise distribution of the sample, female's knowledge about HIV was low 43.2% as compared to male 48%, male's knowledge about transmission of HIV/AIDS from pregnant mother to child was low; 89.7% as compared to female's knowledge 94.2%. Female's knowledge about commercial sex worker as high risk group was low (87.8%) as compared to male's knowledge 90.6%.