KNOWLEDGE OF CAUSES, AND ROUTES OF TRANSMISSION OF HIV/AIDS AMONG RESIDENTS OF A RURAL COMMUNITY IN ENUGU STATE, SOUTHEAST NIGERIA
Abstract
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an infective organism that usually targets the immune system of the victims, making them more susceptible to a wide range of infections and certain types of cancers. It first came to global prominence in 1981 with rare diseases like Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP), and Kaposis Sarcoma reported among gay men in New York and California, United States of America. The major routes of transmission are sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, and from mother-to-child. Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic with 3.4 million people living with the virus, and 3.1% adult HIV prevalence. The main objective of this study is to determine the level of knowledge of causes, and routes of transmission of HIV among residents of Egede, a rural community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu state, Nigeria. Most of the respondents (54.3%) were above 60 years of age, female (69.9%), married (82.8%), had no formal education (52.7%), and farmers by occupation (69.9%). Total knowledge of respondents on causes of HIV/AIDS was 21.3%, knowledge on routes of transmission was 29.5%, while over 70.0% of the respondents had misconceptions about inhaling polluted air, drinking water touched by HIV-infected person, and insect bite being routes of HIV transmission. Awareness and correct knowledge on the causes, and routes of HIV transmission are an essential weapons in the fight against HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is important to develop interventions to address the huge knowledge gap on HIV causes, and routes of transmission in some rural communities.
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