Sti Knowledge and Attitude among Adolescents; A Community Based Study in Ikot Omin of Cross River State, Southern Nigeria

Introduction: To determine the knowledge and attitude of adolescents regarding sexually transmitted infections in IkotOmin community of Cross River State, Nigeria Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study where 115 adolescents were selected from IkotOmin community using a multistage sampling technique. Results: Although 110(96%) of the respondents were aware of STI, however the knowledge of different types of STI among study participants was poor ranging from 26.7% for HIV/AIDS to 4.1% for chlamydia. Knowledge of STI preventive practices among study participants was also poor as only 49.0% could correctly identify at least one STI preventive practice and more than 50% of the respondents have misconception regarding STI preventive practices. Overall 4 out of every 5 respondent had inadequate knowledge on STI. Attitude was equally poor as only 24.4% of the respondent felt that condom use protects against STI, and 21.8% felt condoms should be worn during sexual intercourse. At bivariate level, birth position of the respondents, educational level of mother, religion and good perception to condom use was statistically associated with knowledge of STI prevention (p<0.05). Conclusion: Adolescents in IkotOmin community have inadequate knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases. STI studies should be introduced into the school curriculum and media publicity/enlightenment campaigns intensified.