Risk Factors Associated with HIV Counselling and Testing among Undergraduate Students at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome epidemic remains a burden worldwide and young people constitute the majority of the burden. Establishing factors that influence the uptake of HIV counselling and testing among young people is mandatory to reduce HIV incidences, and hence help to prevent and control the epidemic.
 
 OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with the uptake of HIV counselling and testing among undergraduate students at the University of Nairobi, College of Health Sciences.
 
 METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Nairobi, College of Health Sciences among undergraduate students. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select participants and a mobile tablet device-based questionnaire on the Open Data Kit application was used to collect data. Univariable logistic regression was performed by using STATA software version 11.2.
 
 RESULTS: Factors that were independently associated with the uptake of HIV counselling and testing among the participants were; privacy of the location of the Voluntary Counselling and Testing center (AOR:8.1; 95%Cl:2.7-24.6; p<0.01), peer influence (AOR:1.6; 95%Cl:1.0-2.4; p = 0.05), duration in the academic programme (AOR:0.77; 95%Cl:0.25-2.28; p = 0.03), and whether the participants were sexually active or not (AOR:2.1; 95%Cl:1.3-3.2; p<0.01).
 
 CONCLUSION: Privacy during counselling and peer influence are among the risk factors which need to be addressed to increase the uptake of HIV Counselling and Testing.