On-site PhD conferral Husameddin Farouk Siddig Elshiekh

Keywords: HIV, I-Change Model, university students, Sudan

"HIV prevention among university students in Sudan"

Sudanese university students are at high risk of contracting HIV despite the prevailing religious values and social norms prohibiting premarital sex. This thesis investigated the psychosocial determinants of two important behaviors (abstinence and consistent condom use) among this population. Using a behavioral change model and adopting a mixed research methodology, this thesis explored the students’ sexual behaviors and identified their most salient psychosocial determinants. It was concluded that a more comprehensive approach that respects the religious values and social norms favoring abstinence from sex until marriage, but also options for those unwilling to comply with these values and norms, is urgently needed. By contextualizing these behaviors and their determinants, the thesis informed the cultural adaptation of such an intervention to increase its effectiveness and facilitate its adoption and implementation. Besides, the thesis highlighted the need for tailoring the intervention to meet the different needs of male and female university students in Sudan.

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