HIV Counseling and Testing Uptake,Knowledge and Attitude and Influencing Factors among Student Nurses and Midwives in The Gambia:An Institutional-based Cross-sectional Study

HIV counseling and testing(HCT)has become paramount in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS worldwide.However,the uptake of HCT has been very slow globally,especially in sub-Saharan Africa.Student nurses formed the largest group undergoing health care training in the country compared to doctors and other health cadres.According to WHO,they are part of the most vulnerable group to HIV infection,judging by the fact that they interact more with patients/clients than other healthcare professionals.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HCT uptake,knowledge,and attitude and evaluate influencing factors among student nurses and midwives in public nursing schools.An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data from 305 randomly selected nursing students and midwives using a validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire.Descriptive statistics(percentages,mean and standard deviation)and inferential statistics(chi square,logistics regression,one-way ANOVA and independent samples t-test)were used for data analysis using SPSS version 25.0.A p-value<0.05 was considered for statistical significance.Out of the 305 students recruited for the study,60.98%were females,with a mean age of 25.5 years old.About 58.4%of the participants had tested for HIV in the past.About 95.7%acknowledged the importance of HCT in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.HCT uptake among student nurses and midwives was influenced by factors ranging from an individual that are interpersonal challenges(such as concerns of friends),perceived susceptibility to the disease,lack of confidentiality,stigma and discrimination from health service providers.Therefore,these barriers can be addressed through an organized targeted health education intervention and advocacy programs across health training institutions in the Gambia and beyond.

Relationship between Sexual Risk Behaviors and HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) Uptake among Young People in Nigeria

This study examined the relationship between sexual risk behavior and HIV counselling and testing uptake among young people in Nigeria. Probability sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 10,091 respondents (ages 15 to 24 years) for the study. The multistage cluster sampling was used to select suitable young people with known probability. Data were collected throughout Nigeria between September and December 2012 from 32,543 households (rural = 22,192;urban = 10,351) using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The data were summed using descriptive statistics. Frequencies and percentages;measures of central tendencies were used to answer the research question while nonparametric test such as chi-square was used to analyze non-normally distributed data at 0.5 level of significance. Results of data analysis indicated that sexual risk behaviors comprised three variables: sex with multiple partners, intergenerational sex (sex with partners 10 years older), and transactional sex. The results of the chi-square test of association between sex with multiple partners and HCT uptake showed that there was no statistically significant relationship between sex with multiple partners and HCT uptake among young people ages 15 to 24 years in Nigeria. It was among others recommended that sexually active young people in Nigeria should use protection against HIV infection.

Relationship between HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) Awareness and HCT Uptake among Young People in Nigeria: Implications for Social Change

This study examined the relationship between HIV counselling and testing (HCT) awareness and HCT uptake among young people in Nigeria and their implications for social change. The study is a quantitative research guided by one research question and one hypothesis. The target population comprised young people in Nigeria ages 15 to 24 years because the focus of this study was to identify the factors affecting HCT uptake among young people in this age cohort. The representative sample was obtained from the updated master sample frame of rural and urban zones developed by the National Population Commission in Nigeria. This master sample frame was a national survey that comprised all 36 states in Nigeria. Probability sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 10,091 respondents (ages 15 to 24 years) for the study. The multistage cluster sampling was used to select suitable young people with known probability. Data were collected throughout Nigeria between September and December 2012 from 32,543 households (rural = 22,192;urban = 10,351) using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The individual questionnaires asked about household characteristics, background characteristics of the respondents. Data were analyzed by inputting them into SPSS v21.0 for analysis and then coded them for each participant. The data were summed using descriptive statistics. Frequencies and percentages;measures of central tendencies were used to answer the research question while nonparametric tests such as chi-square were used to analyze non-normally distributed data at 0.5 level of significance. The results of the chi-square test of association between HCT awareness and HCT uptake showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between HCT awareness and HCT uptake among young people ages 15 to 24 years in Nigeria, X2 (1, n = 8916) = 306.66, p < 0.001. In other words, knowledge of the availability of HCT services may have influenced the possibility that the participants would use them. Among others, it was recommended that government should examine the efficacy of HCT treatments in Nigeria, along with conducting a demographic analysis of the at-risk population.

Investigation of Relationship between Sociodemographic Factors and HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) among Young People in Nigeria

The main purpose of this study was to examine the association between sociodemographic factors (gender, place of residence, level of education, geopolitical zone, and socioeconomic status) and HCT uptake among young people in Nigeria. The study is a quantitative research guided by one research question and one hypothesis. The target population comprised young people in Nigeria ages 15 to 24 years because the focus of this study was to identify the factors affecting HCT uptake among young people in this age cohort. The representative sample was obtained from the updated master sample frame of rural and urban zones developed by the National Population Commission in Nigeria. This master sample frame was a national survey that comprises all 36 states in Nigeria. Probability sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 10,091 respondents (ages 15 to 24 years) for the study. The multistage cluster sampling was used to select suitable young people with known probability. Data were collected throughout Nigeria between September and December 2012 from 32,543 households (rural = 22,192;urban = 10,351) using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The individual questionnaires asked about household characteristics, background characteristics of the respondents. Data were analyzed by inputting them into SPSS v21.0 for analysis and then coded them for each participant. The data were summed using descriptive statistics. Frequencies and percentages;measures of central tendencies were used to answer the research question while nonparametric test such as chi-square was used to analyze non-normally distributed data at 0.5 level of significance. Results of data analysis indicated that the sociodemographic variables of gender, place of residence, level of education, geopolitical zone, and SES were significantly associated with HCT uptake. Among others, it was recommended that examining the efficacy of HCT treatments in Nigeria, along with conducting a demographic analysis of the at-risk population, could be beneficial in informing the authorities who are responsible for allocating finite medical resources.

Impact of HIV/sexually transmitted infection testing on risky sexual behaviors among men who have sex with men in Langfang, China

Background Men who have sex with men （MSM） in China remain at high risk for HIV infection, the proportion of reported HIV/AIDS cases that occurred among MSM rose greatly from 2005 to 2011. HIV testing and counseling is a critical HIV prevention strategy among HIV related high-risk population, including MSM in China. This article aimed to assess the association between receiving HIV testing and high-risk sexual behaviors among MSM in Langfang, Hebei Province, China. Methods Between September and November 2007, 233 MSM were recruited to receive an HIV testing intervention. Face-to-face interviews were conducted before HIV testing and 3 months later HIV-related risk behaviors were assessed. Serological testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections （STIs） was performed. Results Of the recruited 233 MSM, 200 completed follow-up. Baseline prevalence was 7.8% for HIV, 21.0% for syphilis, 15.8% for gonorrhea, and 5.0% for chlamydia. Multivariate analysis indicated that inconsistent condom use （OR=7.9, 95% CI： 0.9-66.7, P=0.059） and bleeding during anal sex （OR=5.9, 95% Cl： 1.3-26.2, P=0.019） were risk factors for HIV infection, and group sex （OR=6.6, 95% Cl： 2.2-19.7, P=0.001） was a risk factor for syphilis infection at baseline. At 3 months follow-up, among STI-positive MSM, self-reported anal sex fell from 73.1% to 38.5% （P 〈0.001）; group sex fell from 19.2% to 5.8% （P 〈0.001）; and bleeding during anal sex fell from 23.1% to 5.8% （P 〈0.001）. Among STI-negative MSM, the frequency of one-night stands fell from 32.5% to 17.2% （P 〈0.001）, and oral sex rose from 57% to 78.5% （P 〈0.001）. STI-positive MSM were less likely to engage in anal sex compared to STI-negative MSM （X^2=5.189, P=0.023）. Conclusions HIV testing is an important intervention strategy among MSM. HIV testing services among MSM need to be scaled up, along with comprehensive, tailored interventions including condom promotion and STI treatment.