CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) pandemic has contributed immensely to the present focus on sex education and reproductive health programmes its all encompassing consequences, which include health, social and economic implication is of particular relevance to youths. This is because AIDS afflicts the age range, which constitutes the working class of any nation.
In many African countries, HIV prevalence4 levels are high among youths. It has been reported that more than half of all new infections occur in young people (Henry, 1993). The association of young persons to reproductive health problems is closely related to their increased exposure to the world proneness to experimentation and peer pressure.
According to Kim (2001) they are particularly at risk because the society does not provide for them. The information, skills, health services and support they need to make well informed and responsible decisions about their sexual behaviour.
Osoh (2001) noted that students in tertiary educational institutions are among the adolescents whose sexuality and reproductive health practices have been neglected in past research, most to the discourse on tertiary educational institution have heavily rested on contributions to the labour force and students militancy. Despite this obvious neglect, it is evident that society is particularly susceptible to the consequences of sexual activities of groups and individuals, which include unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDS) including HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health problems.
The onset of sexual activity has become progressively earlier in a survey by the population reference Burearu (2001) of nine Sub-Shara African countries at least half of the young people surveyed has had sex before the age of 18 years. This trend may be traced to the erosion of traditional African values which place emphasis on chastity and encourages marriage at an early age, particularly for girls. Additionally the adoption of Western cultures, which have more permissive attitude to sexual issues have contributed to the liberal attitude to sex and increased sexual activity by the Nigerian youth (Feyisetan, 1987).
As at 1991 it as estimated that 70% of all global HIV infections were estimated to have spread by sexual intercourse between men and women. It is also believed that 80% of all infections resulted from heterosexual intercourse by the year 2000.
Existing data have shown a lower condom use in the developing world. This difference has been attributed to the higher, actual or perceived risk of sexually transmitted infective (STIS) by men in the developing work (Blane et al 1996).
A family planning survey carried out in 1994 by the Federal Office of statistics in Nigeria showed that only 36% of the adult population believed that there is protection against AIDS. The immediate implications of this finding is that most men are not likely to use condom since they do not believe it provide protection (Gyepi-Gerbah 1985).
Although prevention through behaviour change has been identified as a viable route in curtailing the spread of AIDS, current efforts neglect this important area, for instance, inspite of the relative low cost and safety of condoms they are rarely used even among high risk persons. Notable attitudinal barrier towards the condom stern from the belief that they are insensitive, unnatural, meant for only promiscuous persons, may offend partner, inability to predict sexual activity, poor perception of risk etc.
No doubt, reproductive health problems contribute significantly to the morbidity of the African youth. A necessary step towards the improvement of quality of life must emphasize preventive strategies such as condom use to curtail the spread of the deadly AIDS which has no cure.
In the light of the foregoing, there exists a need to evaluate the attitude of the Nigeria youth towards condom use. The attitudinal disposition serves as a predictor to the probability of condom use in new of intervention strategies.