The impact of HIV/AIDS education through formal curriculum and texts in Bangladesh : a study on secondary and higher secondary students

Background: The education sector in Bangladesh provides students with information about HIV/ AIDS which may emerge as a major public health and socioeconomic problem affecting students. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS education through Formal Curriculum and Texts (FCT) on secondary and higher secondary students in Bangladesh. Methods: Using multistage cluster sampling technique, a total of 384 students aged between 11- 19 years were chosen from four secondary and higher secondary institutions in Bangladesh and interviewed through a predesigned structured questionnaire. For triangulation of the quantitative findings, the study employed Key Informant Interview (KII) technique to collect qualitative data from the teachers. Results: The findings of the study show that a little more than half of the students (53.1 percent) reported that HIV/AIDS education prevented students from having unprotected intercourse while 52.60 percent of them stated that it helped to increase self-efficacy. Again, a significant proportion of the students (70.1 percent) said that HIV/AIDS education removed their misconceptions. It can be said that the textbooks of secondary and higher secondary students lack sufficient information about HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: Therefore, the Government of Bangladesh may take an initiative to include more information about HIV/AIDS in the textbooks of secondary and higher secondary students.