MST-School of Public Health

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Browsing MST-School of Public Health by Subject "Administration Police Officers"

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    Assessment of Safe Sex Practices for Hiv Prevention Among Administration Police Officers in Nairobi City County, Kenya.
    (kenyatta university, 2023) Kanini, Lilian; Judy Mugo; Casper Masiga
    Safe sex behaviors such as monogamous relationship, consistent and correct condom use among sexual partners are important for protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including Human Immunodeficiency virus which continues to be a major global public health issue. Globally, in 2020 about 37.7million persons were HIV-positive with nearly two-thirds of them residing in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, 1.4 million people are HIV-positive with a prevalence of 4.8%. The study sought to assess safe sex practices towards HIV prevention among Administration police officers in Uhuru camp, Nairobi city County Kenya. The research utilized both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques and utilized a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Specifically, it focused on knowledge, attitude and health system factors associated with safe sex practice among administration police officers in Uhuru Camp, Nairobi City County, Kenya. Semi-structured questionnaires were utilized to gather quantitative data, while key informant interview schedules were utilized to gather qualitative data. Stratified and systematic random sampling were utilized to choose participants for interviews at intervals of eight until a sample size of 372 was attained. The choice of key sources was deliberate. The essential ethical and logistical clearances from the appropriate authorities were requested, and participants' informed consent was acquired. With the use of the Microsoft Excel application, quantitative data was analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0 to produce frequency tables, pie charts and graphs. Results from qualitative data were triangulated with quantitative findings using direct quotes or narratives. To determine the relationship (p˂0.05) between variables, inferential statistics were computed using Chi-Square tests with a 95% confidence interval and a margin of error of 0.05. The outcomes were displayed in cross-tabulations. The findings established that 58.2% of Administration Police officers in Uhuru Camp, Nairobi City County did not practice safe sex. The level of knowledge on safe sex practice was at 47.8%. The nature of attitude towards safe sex practice was negative at 54.2%. The level of knowledge (AOR=6.512, 95% CI, 2.773-15.290, p=0.011), fair perceived attitude of healthcare providers (AOR=0.234, 95% CI, 0.121-0.453, p=0.001), getting information from friends (AOR=0.2650, 95% CI, 0.129-0.545, p=0.031) and failure of being treated with privacy and confidentiality deserved (AOR=0.278, 95% CI, 0.124-0.622, p=0.002) predicted safe sex practice. The study concludes that about 6 out 10 police officers in Nairobi City County did not practice safe sex. The level of knowledge was moderate with a negative attitude towards safe sex practice. The predictors of safe sex practice were; level of knowledge, fair perceived attitude of healthcare providers, getting information from friends and lack of privacy and confidentiality during treatment. These results add value to the database of knowledge and would be used as a basis for improvement of HIV prevention among Administration Police officers. The study recommends the National Police Service and Ministry of Health to organize for workshops to scale up awareness on the effects of having multiple sexual partners and encourage police officers to consistently use condoms to increase the chances of practicing safe sex towards HIV. The National Police Service through their respective medical departments to dispel myths and misconceptions through information sessions to improve attitude towards safe sex practice among the police. Further, ensure sexual and reproductive health information is shared through several media on availability of services including counselling on safe sex practice.