IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME) e-ISSN: 2320–7388, p- ISSN: 2320-737x Volume 10, Issue 5 Ser. V (Sep. – Oct. 2020), PP 25-33 www.iosrjournals.org Knowledge and Attitude of Condom Use as Preventive Measure for Sexually Transmitted Infections among Learners With Hearing Impairment In Akwa-Ibom State Nwachukwu Kingsley Ezechinyere (Ph.D) Department Of Earlychildhood and Special Education Faculty of Education University of UYO Okoro, Uloaku Nene (Ph.D) Department Of Special Needs Education Alvan Ikoku Federal Collage of Education Owerri Eyo, Stephane-Otobong Atanguma Department Of Earlychildhood and Special Education Faculty of Education University of UYO Abstract This study investigated the knowledge and attitude of condom use as preventive measure for sexually transmitted infections among learners with hearing impairment in Akwa Ibom State. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 389 consisted of all students with hearing impairment in the in secondary section in two special education schools. A simple random sampling technique was adopted for selection of 100 students. Knowledge and Attitude of Condom Use as Preventive Measure for Sexually Transmitted Infections Questionnaire” (KACUPMSTIQ) was the instrument for the study. The instrument was validated by three experts and Cronbach’s Alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument which yielded reliability coefficient indices of 0.75 and 0.81 respectively. The hypotheses were tested using t-test and ANOVA. The finding showed that the learners with hearing impairment are significantly knowledgeable about condom use in the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections; also the learners with hearing impairment significantly show a positive attitude about condom use in the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections. The finding of the study further revealed that there is a significant influence of knowledge on attitude of female learners with hearing impairment about condom use in the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections. The finding indicated that there is a significant influence of knowledge on attitude of both male and female learners with hearing impairment about condom use in the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections, and also learners with hearing impairment significantly practice the use of condom as preventive measure for Sexually Transmitted Infections. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that secondary school students should be exposed to sex education and be taught about sexual transmitted diseases (STDs). Curriculum planners need to implement peer education in the curriculum of secondary school students to enable students improve on their awareness and attitude towards reducing HIV/AIDS. Key Words: Knowledge, Attitude, condom use, Sexually transmitted infections, Hearing Impairemnt ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Date of Submission: 28-09-2020 Date of Acceptance: 10-10-2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- I. Introduction The word knowledge is general awareness or explicit information of a situation or a fact. It also means information in mind; possession of information, facts, ideas, truths and principles. On the other hand, the above dictionary also defines the word “attitude” as personal view of something; an opinion or general feeling about something. In the pre-colonial period and even during the British Colonial time, sex outside of marriage was considered repugnant and forbidden in Africa. The people were generally inhibited and did not openly express their opinions and views pertaining to love, marriage and sex. Moreover, it is considered a taboo for teachers and parents to talk with students/children about sexual matters, such as sexual relationships, and STDs in schools as well as at home because of cultural and religious barriers. In contemporary African society, however, there has been extensive interest, inquiry and curiosity in the phenomenon of sexual relations outside marriage, sex is discussed more freely by the larger society and adolescents in particular. The term “Attitude is a general feeling, and opinion or personal view about something, Allport (1935) offered 16 definitions of attitude that others before him had generated, only to slip in a 17th of his own that has been so well cited that any student of attitudes is able to recite it even when half asleep: “a mental and neural DOI: 10.9790/7388-1005052533 www.iosrjournals.org 25 | Page Knowledge And Attitude Of Condom Use As Preventive Measure For Sexually Transmitted .. state of readiness, organized through upon the individual‟s responses to all objects and situations with which it is related”. McGurie (1968) regarded these definitions to be stifling and yet, since we have to use words when we talk, it probably helps to sketch out occasionally what we mean by our terms”. Instead of providing a new one, he brilliantly side-stepped the issue by using Allport‟s definition and dissecting each of its terms and phrases not only to focus on the various meaning of “mental and neural” and “organized” but also to riff on the philosophical orientations, from positivist to interactionist, that a phrase such “readiness to respond” evokes. McGuire only offered empirical investigations used as a working definition of attitude, “responses that locate object of thought on dimensions of judgment”. Eagly and Chaiken (1993, 1998) provided a simple and intuitive definition that wins on ease and broad endorsement. According to them, an attitude is “a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favour of disfavor”. Others have agree that the concept of evaluation is central to the definition of attitude, noting that attitude have been defined in variety of ways, but at the core is the notion of evaluation. (Petty, Wengener, & Fabriger, 1997). Likewise, Crano and Prislin (2006) brought together diverse characterizations of attitude through their definition: “Attitudes are the evaluative judgment that integrates and summarize Cognitive/affective reactions” Among the changes that the concept of attitude has undergone over the century, none is as clear as the stripping away of all ancillary items to leave the core idea of favor and disfavor” intact. The major objection to such a definition comes from those who endorse the position that attitude have been mischaracterized as entities of some permanence. The boldest criticism of the standard view of attitude is found in the position of Schwarz and Bohner (2001) who take their lead from theories of situated cognition (e.g. Barsalou, 2005; Smith, 2004). Their view can be summarized as follows: Attitude theorists have traditionally defined their construct as if it represents fixed “things” that sit in memory waiting to be pulled out, used, and put back in place. Instead, Schwarz and Bohner claim those attitudes are more parsimoniously conceived of as evaluations that are “formed when needed, rather than enduring personal dispositions”.The intuitive appeal of the standard definition that attitude represent “a tendency” that is, a thing of stability, he argues, comes from the appeal of all dispositional accounts such as the fundamental attribution error (Ross 1977). Children with hearing impairment may have partial or full hearing loss on one or both ears Hardman, Drew and Egan (2005). The characteristics exhibited by students depend on the degree of hearing loss and the onset of that loss. According to Chimedza and Peterson (2003) the earlier the hearing loss manifest itself in a child the more difficult he or she will have in developing the spoken language. A hearing handicap or deafness involves not only the loss or impairment of hearing, but the loss or limitation of the ability to acquire language and speech naturally or spontaneously (Kapp, 1991). Impaired or total lack of language has serious implications for the child‟s development.It is worth nothing that the characteristics of a child with mild hearing loss are in many ways more similar to a hearing child‟s than to a deaf child‟s characteristic. It causes a number of other serious problems that are linked to the inability to receive or express message and thoughts (Adoyo, 2008). Condom is one of the most popular forms of mechanical barriers as it provides protection for the genital tract from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It also prevents pregnancy by acting as a barrier stopping semen from passing into the vagina (Jain, Behere, Jain, Jain, Joshi, Jain, 2009). The use of the condoms was traced back to several thousand years ago. Condom is one of the most popular forms of mechanical barriers as it provides protection for the genital tract from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It also prevents pregnancy by acting as a barrier stopping semen from passing into the vagina. Condoms were invented in the fifteenth century in response to syphilis epidemic in Europe. Since then, the texture of condoms was developed from different kinds of materials such as leather and animal gut. During eighteenth century, the technological development improved the quality of condoms. Rubber was developed as material because of its strength and elasticity. The role of male condom for both contraception and prevention