Knowledge on HIV and its association with sexual behavior among adolescents in Kampala, Uganda

Background: Despite several efforts to educate adolescents about HIV/AIDS in Uganda, many still engage in unsafe behaviors, putting them at risk of HIV infection. Objective: We aimed to assess the level of HIV knowledge and associated factors and establish association with sexual behavior among 13 to 19-year-old adolescents living in an urban division in Kampala district. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 976 adolescents selected through multistage sampling and administered one pretested questionnaire to collect data. We analyzed the data using Stata version 14.0. Results: Knowledge on HIV was moderate (mean score = 11.30, SD= 2.91), and it was not associated with sexual behavior (OR= 0.97, p-value = 0.565). HIV knowledge was associated with age, school status, and knowledge of HIV status. Conclusions: Knowing about HIV did not imply engaging in safe sex practices. There is, therefore, a need to encourage adolescents to adopt safe sexual behavior in the fight against HIV.