HIV/Aids and sexuality: Knowledge and practice among in-school adolescents in eastern province of Sierra Leone

Johnson Adlyn O.¹* and Johnson Adolphus²

¹Department of Teacher Education, Njala University, Sierra Leone.

²Department of Extension and Rural Sociology, Njala University, Sierra Leone.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: adlynjohnson@yahoo.com

Accepted 07 January, 2013

Abstract

This study was conceived to investigate the knowledge that girls have about HIV/AIDS and their sexual behaviours. The study confirmed earlier research by Goya (2007) and Ben-Zur (2000), who studied respectively the knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the sexual behaviour and practices of adolescent girls in India and Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. The most interesting characteristic in these two studies was discrepancy between knowledge of the pandemic and their use of condom and other sexual practices. Adolescent girls’ in the study area were relatively well informed about HIV/AIDS but did not put their knowledge into safe sexual behaviour. The home and the school need to have more interaction if girls’ sexual behaviour will help minimize the incidence of HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, girls’ education, Sierra Leone.