Knowledge and Perceived Effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on HIV Prevention amongst Students at Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria

Abstract

COVID-19 lockdown tremendously affected healthcare delivery services globally and HIV prevention programmes, particularly in developing nations like Nigeria. In Enugu state, an HIV prevalence rate of 2.0% was recorded in 2019, shortly before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Although data for 2021 HIV prevalence in the state appears unavailable, studies have shown that the COVID-19 lockdown disrupted HIV prevention programs and slowed down HIV testing to 41% in 2020, which tends to suggest that HIV prevention programs in Nigeria may have been affected by COVID-19 pandemic. It is noteworthy that while many studies on the effects of COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria's higher education institutions focused more on academic activities, little is known about the knowledge and perceived effects of COVID-19 lockdown on HIV disease prevention by students in a tertiary educational institution in Enugu state, Nigeria. This study employed a cross-sectional survey research design. A structured online questionnaire was used to collect data from 343 students in ESUT. Convenience sampling techniques were used to select the respondents. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0 was used to process the data collected. The data was presented, analyzed, and interpreted using descriptive statistical tools. The results revealed that most students have partial knowledge of HIV prevention. Students perceived that COVID-19 lockdown increased sexual-based violence and limited access to sexual/reproductive health services. Urgent and strategic need for actions by relevant authorities to overcome the potential consequences of the obstructed HIV prevention programs during the pandemic as perceived by students of tertiary institutions in Enugu state, Nigeria.