Abstract:
Despite several campaigns that have been conducted for HIV/AIDS reduction and
the knowledge about HIV/AIDS people have from campaigns and seminars, the rate
of HIV infection is still high due to risky sexual behaviour among sexually active
adults who include secondary school students. Therefore, the broad objective of this
study was to determine the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour
among secondary school students in Tanzania. The specific objectives were to assess
the level of awareness about HIV/AIDS among secondary school students, determ-
ine the sexual behaviour among secondary school students, determine the correlation
between awareness about HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour, and identify barriers to
behavioural change. Data for this study were collected in Njombe District through
structured interviews using a questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key in-
formant interviews. A total of 240 secondary school students from form one to form
three in four selected schools were interviewed in October and November 2010. The
study revealed that the awareness of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention among
secondary school students was high, and the mean number of points scored on
awareness of HIV/AIDS was 82.3 out of 100 on an index scale. The study findings
on sexual behaviour showed that 69 (32.9%) of all 240 respondents had worse sexu-
al behaviour, based on an index scale of sexual behaviour which had a maximum of
110 points, and 71 to 110 denoted bad sexual behaviour while less than 71 denoted
good sexual behaviour. The results indicated that there was positive correlation
between awareness about HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour (r = +0.050) but the cor-
relation was not significant (p = 0.680). Findings on barriers to behavioural changes
showed that factors that were perceived to contribute to students’ involvement insexual intercourse were sexual desire, parents/guardians giving them too little
money, lack of knowledge on HIV/AIDS, to get money, and persuasion by peers.
Based on the correlation results which showed that there was no significant correla-
tion between awareness of HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour, it is concluded that
awareness of HIV is not the only determinant of sexual behavioural change, and that
secondary school students with lower and higher awareness of HIV/AIDS are likely
to have the same sexual behaviour. In view of that conclusion, it is recommended
that education on HIV/AIDS should be given continuously to secondary school stu-
dents so that they can always remember the risk of HIV infection and hence avoid
bad sexual behaviours.
