AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITY

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Sexually transmitted diseases, also known as STDs, and their effects are currently the topic of the day, town, and world, including Nigeria. This disease is an extremely potent virus-caused illness. This virus enters the body via a variety of routes, including sexual contact, blood transfusions, and parental transmission. This virus's primary function is to impair the body's Lymphocyte (white blood cell) mechanism, allowing any disease that penetrates the body to attack even more than anticipated. It is a major medical problem that their incidence is steadily increasing in both the developed and developing nations of the globe. As humanity becomes more civilised, the available statistical data indicate a daily increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases at an alarming rate. In 2017, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 66% of HIV cases, 68% of new adult infections, 92% of new infections in children, and 72% of AIDS-related fatalities, as reported by UNAIDS. In 2019, there were approximately 1.9 million persons living with HIV in Nigeria, with a prevalence rate of 1.4% among adults aged 15 to 49 (UNAIDS, 2018). WHO estimates that approximately 257 million people have HBV infection, with the highest prevalence in the Western Pacific and African regions, where 6.2% and 6.1% of the adult populations are afflicted, respectively. Approximately 1% of people living with HBV infection (2,7 million individuals) are also HIV-positive. Additionally, approximately 399,000 individuals perish annually from hepatitis C infection. In addition, the global prevalence of HPV is estimated to be 11.7%, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing the greatest burden at 24.0% (UNAIDS, 2018). According to the World Health Organisation (2017), sexual and reproductive healthcare for adolescents is a global public health concern. This is due to the fact that adolescent sexual activity has increased in many countries around the globe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies adolescents as young individuals between the ages of 10 and 19, and they make up approximately one-fifth of the global population. Adolescence has been characterised as a period in which adolescents indulge in increased risk-taking conduct, exposing them to numerous health hazards. Globally, the highest prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) occur among those aged 20 to 24 years, followed by those aged 15 to 19 years. 15% of the estimated 22 million hazardous abortions that occur annually are performed on women aged 15 to 19 (WHO, 2017). Approximately one-third of new STIs occur among adolescents (10–19) years old). Young people are frequently regarded as too immature to make sound decisions regarding their sexual health (e.g., the timing of their first sexual experience, choosing their sexual partners, and obtaining contraception). Intriguingly, despite the fact that the use of condoms as a STI preventative measure, various factors have been documented to discourage the use of STI preventive measures among the young demographic sub-group. Alubo, Oyediran, and Odiachi (2019) averred that condoms, which reduce sexual pleasure, financial constraints, poverty, and societal norms that keep women submissive, as well as conventional views of technique, have all been implicated. While basic sexual health information is reported by young people to be primarily acquired from peers, information on STDs such as HIV/AIDS and pregnancy prevention among Nigerian youth is typically acquired from the social media. Only a small proportion of students reported their parents as their primary source of sexual health information.Therefore, parents, carers, health care professionals, and educators are expected to monitor adolescents' sexual and reproductive health decisions. These influential adults in the lives of adolescents adhere to sociocultural norms regarding sexuality (NACA, 2020). According to Ofosu and Sam (2020), untreated or inadequately treated STIs in adolescents are associated with a number of complications. In males, infection with gonorrhoea and chlamydia trachomatis causes epididymitis, which can lead to infertility in the future. In addition, in the future, gonococcal urethritis that is inadequately treated may result in inflammatory urethral stricture. Untreated, this may result in urinary retention and possibly chronic renal failure. It is possible for females to develop pelvic inflammatory disease, dyspareunia, infertility, chronic pelvic discomfort, an increased risk of ectopic pregnancies, abortions, stillbirths, and perinatal and neonatal morbidities, jeopardising their future reproductive competences. Adolescent knowledge of STI and their complications is important for adequate prevention and treatment, as people who do not know the symptoms may fail to recognize their need and so may not seek help (Hale, Viner 2016). Knowledge of other STIs apart from HIV/AIDS is low in the developing world hence the need for this study. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM In recent times sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are a significant health, social, and economic burden on society and the adolescent populace are the most exposed to these disease due to lack of j=knowledge and awareness. WHO (2017) reports that many STIs are concealed among 10-18 year old teenagers because they feel stigmatised when discussing them, this is because adolescent sexual activity is not always consented to, exposing them to greater risks (Badawi, et al., 2019). Therefore, adolescents are more susceptible to rape, sexual harassment and exploitation, as well as physical and verbal abuse, because they are less capable of preventing or restraining such displays of power. In Gregory university , numerous adolescents under 18 years old are already sexually active, but many struggle to obtain reproductive health care. Hence are typically inadequately informed about how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Significant numbers of those adolescents engage in hidden unprotected sexual activity with multiple partners because teenagers are forbidden from discussing sexual matters because sex is regarded as sacred and a topic for only the married. exposing them to a variety of reproductive health problems (Ogundipe, Ojo, 2015). On the other hand, Adegun, Solomon, Adegoke (2018) stated that the quality of knowledge that parents pass on to their children is questionable and an influencing factor to adolescent knowledge on STI’s , bizarrely parents themselves are not concerned because they do not have enough information to pass on to their children. However, there are evidence that teenagers prefer to acquire sexual health information from their peers or school guidance who may lack adequate professional tips for prevention of such diseases. Importantly, literature on the awareness of STIs in the university community are quite scanty if any. Therefore In view of the decreasing age of sexual debut and the reported increasing numbers of diagnosed STDs among adolescents in Gregory university, results of this study can help point out areas where STD risk communication for adolescents needs to be improved. Thus upon this premise that this study will examine the awareness and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Gregory University Uturu. 1.3 GENERAL OBJECTIVE The general objective of this study will be to examine the awareness and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Gregory University Uturu. 1.3.1 Specific Purposes of the Study Specifically, the study will: i. Determine the extent of awareness of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Gregory University Uturu. ii. Find out the adolescent’s knowledge on the causes of sexually transmitted infections in Gregory University Uturu. iii. Examine the types of sexually transmitted infections that adolescents in Gregory University Uturu are knowledgeable about. iv. Examine adolescent awareness on the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections in Gregory University Uturu. v. Ascertain adolescent’s knowledge on the ways to which sexually transmitted diseases are contacted in Gregory University Uturu. vi. Invstigates adolescent’s awareness on the effects of sexually transmitted diseases and recommend appropriate prevention\control mechanisms to curb the menace. 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS The following research questions which are in line with the objectives of this study will be answered: i. To what extent are adolescents in Gregory University Uturu aware of sexually transmitted infections? ii. What is the adolescents knowledge on the causes of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Gregory University Uturu? iii. What are the types of sexually transmitted infections that adolescents in Gregory University Uturu are knowledgeable about? iv. What are adolescent awareness on the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections? v. What are adolescent’s knowledge on the ways to which sexually transmitted diseases are contacted in Gregory University Uturu. vi. What are the effects of sexually transmitted diseases on adolescents and prevention\control mechanisms to curb the menace in Gregory University Uturu. 1.5 HYPOTHESES The following null hypotheses will be validated in this study: Ho1: The extent of sexually transmitted infections awareness among adolescents in Gregory University Uturu is low. Ho2: There is no significant effect of sexually transmitted infections on adolescents’ well being among adolescents in Gregory University Uturu. 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY/JUSTIFICATION The study will be relevant to different sector such as government, university management, health professional, students and the society. To the government, especially these in the information units and Ministry of Education and Health, the study will provide a blue print on what policies and strategies can be employed to improved level of knowledge and source of information on sexually transmitted diseases among adolescent in high institutions of learning. Also, the study when concluded will provide information that can be used by the university management on instituting appropriate preventive measures on STIs, plan for the educational needs of the students regarding orientations and seminars sexually transmitted diseases as well as reach out for partnerships with health organization when need be. Additionally, the finding will help the adolescent in Gregory university and enlighten them on the need to avoid multiple sexual partners, encourage them to speak up when experiencing similar symptoms and as well seek medical attention when need be Further more, the study will encourage health professionals and non governmental organization on the need for massive campaign in university communities towards debunking the myth of STI and proffer appropriate information on prevention and control measure of sexually transmitted diseases. To the society as a whole, the report will also be a source of information on sexually transmitted diseases, while they understand the need to reduce the stigmatization on sex education, as well encourage parents to develop open communication with their adolescent children in other to provide appropriate guidance that is requisite to curb adolescents sexual involvement decision when they are far from home among secondary school students. Lastly as an empirical material, the result of the study will add to the general body of knowledge and serve as a reference source for scholars who wishes to conduct further studies in related field. 1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of this study is centered on adolescents awareness and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections in higher institutions with reference to Gregory University Uturu. Specifically, studies were selected if they reported on awareness and/or knowledge of one or more sexually transmitted disease(s) among school-attending adolescents. Additionally, this study will also focus on examining the types, causes, mode of transmission, effect, prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections. Notable, editorials, letters to the editor, expert opinions, studies on sexual activity/behaviour, studies evaluating intervention programmes and studies not specifically on school-attending adolescents were excluded.