Association between knowledge of Human Immunodeficiency Virus transmission and consistent condom use among sexually active men in Nigeria: An analysis of 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey

Abstract

An estimated 1.7 million people were living with HIV in Nigeria in 2020, with over 86,000 people newly infected. Although the global rates of HIV have remained consistent over time, Nigeria has the second-highest number of people living with HIV and contributes to 9% of the global burden of HIV/AIDS. This is due to several structural and individual-level factors that limit knowledge of HIV and condom utilization. In this context, this study examines the association between knowledge about HIV transmission and consistent condom use among sexually active men in Nigeria. The data utilised in this study was sourced from the latest Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2018. The sample included a total of 9,346 men between the ages of 15–59 years who were sexually active at the time of data collection. Frequency distribution, univariate and multivariable analyses were performed at 95% confidence interval and p-value less than 0.05 to determine the association between the key independent variables and covariates. The results showed that 85.03% of sexually active men who had no knowledge of HIV engaged in inconsistent condom use. The key independent variable showed that sexually active men who had knowledge of HIV had higher odds [AOR = 1.37; 95%(CI = 1.10–1.72)] of consistent condom use compared to those without knowledge of HIV. However, sexually active men who were previously married [AOR = 0.38; 95%(CI = 0.24–0.61)], and those residing in the South Eastern region of Nigeria [AOR = 0.62; 95%(CI = 0.44–0.96)] had lower odds of consistent condom use. This study established the association between HIV knowledge and consistent condom use among sexually active males in Nigeria even after controlling for confounders. Educational level, wealth index, and ethnicity are also associated with condom use. This calls for the consideration of social determinants of health, localised and cultural health promotion and targeted public health strategies at all governmental levels to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria.

Effect of comprehensive knowledge of HIV on risky sexual behaviours associated with HIV transmission among adult Ugandans: a propensity score-matched analysis

“…Consistent with our results, a recent study conducted among sexually active men in Nigeria 33 show that Open access knowledge of equally improved condom use. Another study conducted among South African married couples reported that females are less likely to use a condom if their male partner has refused to use a condom, 34 suggesting male dominance or power imbalance between women and men in condom negotiation.…”

Prevalence and factors associated with the use of long-acting reversible and permanent contraceptive methods among women who desire no more children in high fertility countries in sub-saharan Africa

“…More information on the broad DHS sampling pretest and methodology has been published elsewhere [7,24]. The survey is a recognised good source of the secondary dataset in SSA and has been utilised by various previous studies conducted in the region [7,[25][26][27][28][29]. We adopted the observational studies epidemiology guidelines in writing and reporting the findings from this study [30].…”

Prevalence and predictors of HIV testing among young men in Papua New Guinea: a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample

“…However, consistent condom use has been acknowledged as one of the most fundamental preventative measures against HIV acquisition and transmission [13]. In other recent studies, rates of consistent condom use have been shown to increase with higher levels of education and comprehensive sexual health education [15,17,66]. Approaches aimed at improving consistent condom use among young men should consider multi-level influences, including attitudes and decisions around condom use.…”

“…Sexual risk behaviours such as having sex at an early age, having multiple sexual partners, having sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and having unprotected sex are welldocumented drivers for HIV and other STIs [12][13][14]. In addition, a lack of HIV knowledge and inconsistent condom use, especially among young people, significantly increase the risk of HIV transmission [15][16][17]. Efforts to increase knowledge of condom use and reduce HIV risks, as well as HIV testing, remain critical for young people.…”