ABSTRACT
A cross sectional study of 400 randomly selected in-school female adolescents in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State, to determine their level of knowledge about AIDS and the influence of such knowledge on their sexual behaviour. Structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were used to collect data. 93.3% of the respondents were aware of AIDS, 93% knew HIV could be transmitted through sexual intercourse. 33% of the respondents were sexually exposed. FGDs revealed poverty as a major socio - economic factor pre - disposing in-school female adolescents to premarital sex. There was no significant association between knowledge of sexual means of HIV transmission and use of condom. However, there was a significant positive association between knowledge of the protective effect of condom against sexual transmission of HIV and regular use of condom. (X2=5.25, P=<0.05). The study reveals an adolescent female population that is vulnerable and at risk of HIV infection as a result of their sexual behaviour. Public health measures are urgently needed to educate and positively change the attitudes of female adolescents towards condom.