Perception of high school students on risk for acquiring HIV and utilization of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) service for HIV in Debre-berhan Town, Ethiopia: a quantitative cross-sectional study.

Solomon Sisay,Girmay Medhin,Woldaregay Erku,Desalegn Woldeyohannes

doi:10.1186/1756-0500-7-518

Abstract

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic among youth is largely ignored and remains invisible to both young people themselves and to the society as a whole. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess the extent of perception risk of HIV and utilization of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) service among high school students at Debre-berhan Town, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2010 up to January 2011 among secondary school students at Debre-berhan Town. Perception risk and VCT use were considered as dependant variables. A stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants by taking schools as strata. Semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.ResultsA total of 339 students were consented to participate in the study and the response rate was 96.3%. The student ages’ were ranged from 15 up to 24 years. Among the study participants, 30 (8.8%) had sexual contact and the mean age of first sexual encounter was 16.4 (SD =2.05) years. Of sexually active students, 12 (40%) had sex with different persons within the last 6 months, 13 (43.3%) had ever used condom and 15 (50%) had used VCT service. There was no statistically significant association between risk perception towards HIV infection and ever use of VCT service (AOR (95% CI) = 1.0(0.30, 4.02).ConclusionsSome students were engaged in risky sexual behavior even though they had heard about HIV/AIDS. The perception of risk for acquisition of HIV infection and utilization of VCT were low. Thus, education on topic of HIV/AIDS through integrating as part of school curriculum and encouraging the existing health institutions to provide youth-friendly sexual counseling services including VCT for HIV are strongly recommended.

Highlights

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic among youth is largely ignored and remains invisible to both young people themselves and to the society as a whole
All students had heard about HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), its transmission and prevention which was similar to the findings of a study carried out in Nigeria [5,13]
All students had heard about HIV/AIDS, but misconceptions existed regarding HIV transmission and prevention

Summary

Introduction

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic among youth is largely ignored and remains invisible to both young people themselves and to the society as a whole. Young people are vulnerable to HIV pandemic and more than half of all new infections worldwide occur between the ages of 15 and 24 [3]. HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic among youth is largely ignored and remains invisible to both young people themselves and to society as a whole so that the young are more likely to carry the virus for years without knowing that they are infected. Current data indicates that about 20% of young people in Africa, whose age range from 15 up to 19 years (mainly secondary school students), are infected with HIV virus [4]

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