HIV RISK PERCEPTION, CONDOM USE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PRIVATE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN HARAR TOWN, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Human immune deficiency virus remains a major global public healthissue; contribute to the death of 37 million lives so far. It remains a major development challenge for Sub-Saharan countries including Ethiopia. Adolescents and young adults are particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS pandemic and more than half of all new infections worldwide occur between the ages of 15 and 24 due topoor risk perception and inconsistent use of preventive packagesincluding condom use. Due to biological, psychological, socio cultural and economic factors, young people, particularly those aged 15-29 years, are generally at a high risk of HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health problems. However, arecent study was lacking on the level of risk perception and condom utilization in the Harari region especially in private colleges where most risk behaviors were entertained by youths. Objective: To assess HIV risk perception, condom use and associated factors among private college students in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia, from June 1 to June 30, 2021. Method: Across-sectional study was conductedamong 540 randomly selected private college students in Harar. Data were collected using a pretested, structuredandself-administered questionnaire developed through reviewing different literatures. The data were checked for completeness, consistency and entered into Epi- Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted and statistical significance was decided at p-value < 0.05. Result: In this study a total of 268(49.6%)respondents are sexually active. More than half (57.5%) of the students practiced risky sexual behavior. About 51.1 % of respondants had good HIV/AIDS risk perception. Living alone (AOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0, 4.0) and chewing khat (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.8) were strong predictors of good HIV/AIDS risk perception, have association with perception at 𝑝 value less than 0.05. Among the sexually active respondents 38.1% had ever used condom. However, only 16.8% of sexually active respondants reported to use condom consistently. The chance of consistent condom uses by married respondent was more likely when compared to singles(AOR: 0.25, CI: 0.09, 0.75). Conclusion:Even though, more than half of respondants had good risk perception towards HIV/AIDS a significant proportion of students in private colleges practiced risky sexual behavior which endangers their future. This implies the need for concerted effort to alleviate the problem. Therefore, private college communities need to focus on promotion of healthy sexual and reproductive health issues through counseling and education programmes.