The Relationship Between HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Dating Behavior Among Senior High School Students

HIV/AIDS Knowledge Adolescent Dating Behavior

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The WHO reported that approximately 39.0 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2022, with 1.3 million new infections and 630,000 deaths due to HIV-related illnesses in the same year. One of the factors contributing to risky dating behavior among adolescents is a lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, leading to limited understanding of its consequences. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between HIV/AIDS knowledge and dating behavior among eleventh-grade students. A quantitative descriptive correlational method with a cross-sectional approach was used. The sample consisted of 70 respondents selected through purposive sampling. The research instruments included the HIV-KQ-18 questionnaire and the SBQ, both of which have been tested for validity and reliability. The results showed that 17.1% of respondents had low knowledge levels, while 18.6% engaged in risky dating behaviors. The Spearman’s rho test indicated a significant relationship between HIV/AIDS knowledge and dating behavior (p = 0.000; r = 0.697). Thus, there is a strong and positive relationship between HIV/AIDS knowledge and adolescent dating behavior. These findings imply the need for structured reproductive health education programs in secondary schools, such as regular counseling sessions and integration of HIV/AIDS content into the curriculum, to reduce risky dating behaviors among adolescents.