REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 INTRODUCTION HIV/AIDs has been ranked among the common disease of all times that is threatening us with the extinction of youths and adults. It is not only terrorizing the entire generation but also kills and leaves millions of orphans for the oldest grandparent to carter for.
2.1 HIV/AIDS IN NIGERIA According to USAID brief (2004), Nigerian epidemic is characterized by one of the most rapidly increasing rates of new HIV/AIDS cases in West Africa. Adult HIV prevalence increased from 1.8% in 1991 to 5.8% in 2001. This infection rate, although lower than that of neighboring African countries should be considered in the context of Nigeria’s relatively among population of approximately 117 million, the joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) by the end of 2001. HIV prevalence among women attending continental clinic in 1999 rose from less 1% to 21%. Among sex workers in Lagos. HIV prevalence rose from 2% in 1988-89 to 12% in 1990-91 by 1995-96 up to 70% of sex workers tested positive. USAID Brief (2004) further elaborates that current projections show an increase in the number of new AIDS cases from 250,000 in 2000 to 360,000 by 2006. As a result of the epidemic the crude death rate in Nigeria was about 20% higher in 2000 than in 1990. In 2001 alone 170,000 adults and children died of AIDS at the end of 2001, UNAIDS estimated that 1 million children orphaned by AIDS were living in Nigeria. USAID Brief (2004) further added that several factors have contributed to the rapid of HIV in Nigeria. These include sexual networking practices such as polygamy, a high prevalence of untreated sexually, transmitted infection (STI’S), low condom, poverty, low literacy, poor health status, low status of women stigmatizing, and denial of HIV infection risk among vulnerable, groups. Nigeria is a complex mixture of diverse ethnic groups, language, cultures, religious and regional groupings all of which are major