STI/HIV Vulnerability among Out of School Youth in Vocational Training Centres in Vavuniya and Kilinochchi Districts

Introduction: A decade after the civil war in Sri Lanka, the youth in the northern province had access to the rest of the world, with a gap of knowledge on sexual health.

Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitude and high-risk behaviour towards HIV & STI and identify factors associated with high risk behaviours among out of school youth in vocational training centres in Vavuniya and Kilinochchi.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 303 consenting out of school youth in vocational training centres were recruited in Vavuniya and Kilinochchi districts. Research validated scales were used to assess HIV knowledge and attitude. Bivariate statistical methods were used to understand the relationship between the variables.

Results: Mean age was 18.5 years (SD=2.1 years), and 51% (n=155) were male. Only a quarter (n=76) had adequate HIV knowledge, and 11% (n=34) had the correct attitude. Sixty-three (21%) had consumed alcohol, and 34 (11%) had taken psychoactive drugs. Fifteen (5%) were sexually active, and 4 (1%) had received commercial sex. Adequate knowledge and attitude towards HIV were associated the sex (P=0.000, P=0.0045) and knowledge obtained from school (P=0.000, P=0.027).

Conclusions: Even though risk behaviours for STI and HIV were low among out of school youth, the knowledge and attitude towards HIV/STI were poor.