Abstract

African university adolescents’ gender differences in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) vulnerability investigation examined adolescents’ frequent perception that they are not susceptible to HIV/AIDS infection. Specifically, it sought to find out whether there are gender differences in the belief that adolescents are not at risk of HIV/AIDS infection. The investigation was based on 366 male and female participants selected from diverse countries comprising Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania. The measuring instrument was a questionnaire dealing with HIV/AIDS transmission, infection and prevention. The statistical analysis was descriptive. There were statistically significant gender differences in the belief that adolescents were not susceptible to HIV/AIDS transmission. In conclusion, it was argued that high level HIV/AIDS knowledge and belief in invulnerability is a contradiction in terms, and that such belief has serious implication on sexual behavior change. Therefore, it is imperative that, HIV/AIDS public education underscores this misconception of invulnerability, to advance the conquest of the most dreadful and life-threatening disease in recent human history.

Key words: Adolescents’ vulnerability, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) transmission, HIV/AIDS prevention, sex differences, public HIV/AIDS education, HIV knowledge, risk perception.