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Concerns about contracting HIV, knowing partners’ HIV sero-status and discussion of HIV/STI with sexual partners as determinants of uptake of HIV testing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2018

Anthony Idowu Ajayi Open the ORCID record for Anthony Idowu Ajayi [Opens in a new window] ,
Abdulazeez Olumide Abioye ,
Oladele Vincent Adeniyi  and
Wilson Akpan
Anthony Idowu Ajayi*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa
Abdulazeez Olumide Abioye
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
Oladele Vincent Adeniyi
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine & Rural Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha/East London, South Africa
Wilson Akpan
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa
*
*Corresponding author. Email: ajayianthony@gmail.com
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Abstract

Worldwide, adolescents and young adults (aged 15–25 years) account for the highest proportion of new HIV infections, yet the uptake of HIV testing among this cohort is sub-optimal. Understanding factors that predict the uptake of HIV testing among adolescents and young adults is critical for designing effective and relevant interventions to increase testing. Drawing from the psychosocial constructs of the Health Belief Model, the study examined the effects of HIV risk perception, discussion of HIV with partners and knowing partners’ HIV status on HIV testing uptake among adolescents and young adults in two Nigerian universities. The study was conducted in 2018 and was cross-sectional in design, with a final sample of 784 male and female students selected using stratified random sampling. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of HIV risk perception, discussion of HIV with partners and knowing partners’ HIV status on HIV testing uptake. Only 50.6% of participants had ever tested for HIV with 30.7% being tested in the last year, with no significant differences by sex. After controlling for other covariates (age, sex and being sexually active), knowing partners’ HIV status, having discussed HIV with partners and being very concerned about contracting HIV were found to be significantly associated with ever being tested for HIV and recent HIV testing uptake. Uptake of HIV testing was found to be low in the study setting and fell short of the first ‘90%’ UNAIDS target. Age-appropriate strategies, targeting open communication on HIV/STIs and disclosure of sero-status between sexual partners are required to promote uptake of HIV testing among young adults and adolescents in Nigeria.

Keywords

HIV testingHIV Sero-statusAdolescents and Young Adults
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 51 , Issue 4 , July 2019 , pp. 549 - 561
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press, 2018 

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