Assessment of Sero-prevalence of HIV and Associated Factors Among Debre Berhan University Students, Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Young adults including university students are at high risk of acquiring HIV due to their risky sexual practices and the recent emergence of rising HIV epidemic in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess Sero-prevalence of HIV and associated factors among students of Debre Berhan University. Method: Institution based Cross sectional study design was employed. Sample size was determined using Epi Info version 3.4 which is 580. A combination of stratified and simple random sampling technique was carried out to allocate the sample. Data was collected by self-administered questionnaire and blood sample for HIV screening was taken. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS version 16. 95% C.I was used to determine the associated factors of risky sexual behavior and P-value less than 0.05 was considered to be significant. Result: The HIV Sero-prevalence among the students was 0.36%. Among 557 participants, 140 (25.13%) reported having at least one risky sexual behavior in their lifetime. Participants, 140 (25.13%) reported having at least one risky sexual behavior in their lifetime. Cigarette smoking and pornography exposure shows significant association with risky sexual behavior. Therefore, this study suggested that HIV Sero-prevalence and risky sexual behavior among the students is relatively high and needs urgent interventions.