KNOWLEDGE OF SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES, HIV-INFECTION AND AIDS AMONG SEXUALLY ACTIVE ADOLESCENTS IN NAIROBI, KENYA AND ITS RELATIONSHIPTO THEIR SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR AND CONTRACEPTION

A total of 675 male and female adolescents, aged 10 to 19 years, who w ere attending the adolescent antenatal clinic at the Kenyatta National Hospital and the Special STD and Skin Disease Clinic in Nairobi, betw een April 1, 1991 and July 31, 1991, were interviewed by means of part ially structured questionnaire, to determine their level of awareness on sexually transmitted diseases, HIV infection, AIDS and contraceptio n with its relationship to their sexual behaviour and contraceptive pr actice. Adolescents formed 27.6% of people attending the STD and Skin diseases clinic, of whom 52.9% were females and 41.2% were males. Majo rity of them were not in any formal employment. A few were students in schools in the city. 70.4% of the total group mentioned gonorrhoea as a sexually transmitted disease, as compared to only 54.3% who mention ed AIDS as a sexually transmitted disease. They only mentioned three d iseases, namely gonorrhoea, syphilis, and AIDS (HIV infection). Majori ty of them had started coitus very early. They were involved with many and different partners, some of whom belonged to the high risk groups for HIV infection as well as STD's. As a reflection of their low awar eness on AIDS, most of these sexually active adolescents had not chang ed their sexual behaviour, nor were they using any protective measure against STD's or HIV infection.The implications of these findings are discussed and possible remedial measures suggested.