Up to 77 per cent of university students have been tested for HIV. But even though they know their status and the dangers of unprotected sex, it has not prevented them from exposing themselves a study has found.

The survey carried out at the University of Nairobi found that only 43 per cent of the students used condoms every time they had sex three months before the survey. This means that 57 per cent did not often use the device that can, if used correctly prevent HIV infection.

According to the study carried out by Ms Jennifer Liku and Ms Anne Kioko on behalf of the I Choose Life organisation, 36 per cent of the 1,262 students interviewed use condoms sometimes, meaning that 64 per cent do not, while 8 per cent do not use any protection.

The survey, whose results were released in Nairobi on Thursday, found that 31 per cent of the students felt that they are exposed to little risk, with 47 per cent saying they feel the risk is small. Only 3 per cent said they are highly exposed.

“There is an invincibility complex, where the students feel that they cannot get infected with HIV, that it will affect only other people,” said Ms Liku. “We can only hope that those feeling no risk or a small amount are the ones using condoms.”

According to data, 77 per cent of the students have been tested, meaning that most know their HIV status and could be acting in full knowledge of where the risk lies.

“There is no other institution I know of whose testing rate is this high, especially given that the national target for testing for this year is 80 per cent,” said Mr Mike Mutungi, I Choose Life’s boss.

However, it is not all doom and gloom because many respondents were reported to have expressed the wish to either continue or start practising abstinence.

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