The Scourge of STDs Among Young Adults in Abuja: Implications for Human Resource and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Abstract

A substantial body of research has investigated the disastrous impact of HIV/AIDS on human development of countries across the world. Unfortunately, little or no attempt has been made to examine the knowledge and attitude of young adults towards STDs and its preventive methods. However, evidence from research shows that this epidemic has the potential to create socio-economic impacts and could become a potential cause of mortality. Globally, one in every 20 young people is affected by STDs and majority of people affected especially in Africa are young adults. This study therefore determined the knowledge of STDs and its preventive methods, using young adults at University of Abuja as case study, 250 respondents were selected, using multi stage sampling and data collected with the aid of structured questionnaires. The result showed that religious affiliation and family background indicate significant relationship with the knowledge of STDs. The result also revealed that majority of the young adults claimed to be aware of STDs, although majority are confused about its preventive methods. The implications of this for human resources and sustainable development were also drawn. The study concludes that to secure a prosperous human resource future in a globalizing world and to enhance sustainable development, there is a need to intensify the STDs awareness campaign, especially among young adults, with the objective of stemming the spread.