Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 17, 2006

MBABANE, 17 November (PLUSNEWS) - They should be smarter, but condoms are not very popular among university students in Swaziland, which has the world's highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, according to a new survey.

The study conducted over a two-year period beginning in 2004 by the University of Swaziland into the sexual habits of students at its three campuses found that safer sex practices, including condom use, were neglected by almost half the interviewees. Up to 40 percent of the country's sexually active adults are HIV positive.

"Participants pointed out that in many instances, female students do not practice safe sex with their partners," the survey by the university's research board revealed, but did not provide a breakdown of safer sex practices according to gender.

More than half the 432 students interviewed among the 5,000 spread over the university's campuses in the capital, Mbabane, and outlying suburbs, were female.

Just over 45 percent of the total said they "always" practiced safer sex, although survey compilers cautioned that some of the students later admitted forsaking condom use when their relationships with their partners became more involved.

Male students led the revolt against condom use; female students would not insist on condom use for fear of losing their boyfriends. A surprising number of female students depended financially on their boyfriends. "Female students are afraid that their partners would leave them in case they insist on condom use," the report commented.

One female student majoring in Social Science was quoted as saying, "I think ladies always have this fear that if they refuse to do what he [the sexual partner] is saying, they may lose him and he goes to somebody else. I think there is always this element of fear - what if I lose him? Then you decide that you should abide by what he says."

The university distributes free condoms, but students criticised these as being of "poor quality".

Researchers said HIV/AIDS education and media campaigns have had little impact on university students other than informing about the disease.

However, a recent study commissioned by the National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS found that awareness campaigns had contributed positively to changing the sexual behaviour and attitudes of adult Swazis, which was reflected in the number of people equating a new sexual partner with increased risk of HIV infection: 92 percent in 2006, up from 87 percent in 2005.

The university survey recommended programmes and interventions aimed at circumventing peer influences. It also suggested incorporating sex education into the university curriculum, and establishing links with nongovernmental health organisations that could provide HIV testing and counselling to students.

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