Socio-demographic characteristics and the utilization of HIV testing and counselling services among the key populations at the Bhutanese Refugees Camps in Eastern Nepal

Salina Khatoon,Bidhya Basnet,Kiran Bam,Shyam Sundar Budhathoki,Rajshree Thapa,Nilambar Jha,Lokesh P. Bhatt

doi:10.1186/s13104-018-3657-2

Abstract

ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the socio-demographic characteristics, assess the utilization of HIV testing and counselling services, and to explore the reasons for the non-utilization of HIV testing and counselling services among the key populations at the Bhutanese refugee camps in eastern Nepal.ResultsThe HIV testing and counselling services are utilized by less than a third (29%) of the key population among the Bhutanese Refugees. The prime source of information about the HIV testing and counselling sites has been health workers followed by peer/outreach educators and neighbors. Common self-reported barriers for utilization of HIV testing and counselling services by the Bhutanese refugees were self-perceived stigma about HIV, the fear of being discriminated and the lack of knowledge about HIV testing and counselling services. There is a need to analyze the gap between availability and utilization through more qualitative approaches in order to identify interventions to increase the uptake of the HIV testing and counselling services.

Highlights

As of 2016, there were an estimated 36.7 million (34.0 million–39.8 million) people living with HIV (PLHIV) globally, including almost 1% of adults aged 15–49 years [1]
Refugee women are forced to engage in commercial sex for food, shelter material and other basic commodities [5], whilst refugee men who leave their partners behind often engage with commercial sex workers, both inside or outside refugee camps, and are placed at risk of HIV infection [6, 7]
The study found the utilization of HIV testing and counselling (HTC) services was 29%

Summary

Introduction

Almost 78 million people have been infected and about 39 million have died because of HIV infection since the beginning of the epidemic. As of 2016, there were an estimated 36.7 million (34.0 million–39.8 million) people living with HIV (PLHIV) globally, including almost 1% of adults aged 15–49 years [1]. Refugees are at risk of contracting HIV due to the extended displacement and associated disruption to their lives. HIV services exist, several challenges limit access of refugees to services [3]. Refugees are often accused of importing HIV to the countries of asylum, discriminated [4]. Refugee women are forced to engage in commercial sex for food, shelter material and other basic commodities [5], whilst refugee men who leave their partners behind often engage with commercial sex workers, both inside or outside refugee camps, and are placed at risk of HIV infection [6, 7]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion