HIV risk behaviour among primary and secondary school teachers in Uganda

Background: It is commonly suggested that teachers are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviour compared to the rest of the adult population. This study set out to establish HIV risk behaviours among teachers in Uganda.
Methods: This was a cross sectional assessment among primary and secondary school teachers in Uganda between October and November 2011. A total of 183 teachers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. HIV risk behaviour was defined as either having 2+ sexual partners, having sex with a partner of unknown status without using a condom, in the last three months preceding the survey. All data analysis was performed using SPSS version 17.0 and EPI Info Version 3.5.1.
Results: Forty five per cent of teachers reported having 2+ sexual partners in the last three months. Of these, 24% acknowledged having used a condom at their last sexual encounter while 9.8% knew their partners’ HIV status. Young teachers were more likely to have 2+ sexual partners and to engage in sex with partners of unknown HIV status compared to those above 30 years (OR=2.6, 95% CI 1.31-5.34), (OR=2.47, 95% CI 1.10-5.59).
Conclusion: Young teachers are more likely to engage in HIV risk behaviours than old teachers, suggesting a need to promote individual risk perception, condom use and reduction in sexual partners.