Uptake Pattern of HIV Counseling and Testing Services: A 4-Year Review in Plateau State, Nigeria

Francis A Magaji ,T Afolaramin,Jonah Musa ,Amaka N Ocheke ,Vc Pam ,Atiene S Sagay ,Ai Zoakah

doi:10.46912/jbrcp.63

Abstract

Plateau state is one of the HIV high-burden states in Nigeria with few people knowing their HIV status as a result of challenges with access to HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) services. This study was aimed at determining the HCT uptake among the general population as well as the pattern by age and sex in Plateau state. The study was a 4-year descriptive analysis of HCT services in the general population of Plateau state, Nigeria based on data generated between January 2012 and December 2015. The data on HCT services were managed through the electronic Nigerian National HIV/AIDS Response Information Management System (eNNRIMS) which was web-based software. The data was disaggregated by year, age and sex in the software and analysis was done using excel to obtained the proportions and trend of HCT uptake in the general population and by year, age and sex. Out of a total of 495,718 tested for HIV, 400,699 people received their test results giving an 80.8% HCT uptake in Plateau state. The highest (99.7%) HCT uptake was in 2014 and the least (67.7%) was in 2012. The age group 25 – 49 years accounted for nearly two-thirds of HCT uptake. The female population had higher percentages of between 7.2% and 17.6% HCT uptake across the years compared to their male counterparts. The HCT uptake was relatively high, and it was even higher among the female population compared to the HCT uptake among male population in Plateau state Nigeria.

Highlights

Every year, it is estimated that 2.3 million new HIV infections occurred globally with sub-Saharan Africa contributing 80%.1, 2, 3 In a World Health Organization (WHO) report on universal access in 2008, on the average, as few as 10.3% of men and 10.9% of women in the general population had ever been tested for HIV and received their test results
Our study showed that on the average, the HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) uptake in Plateau state was 80.8% of the total number of 495,718 people tested for HIV
HCT uptake among the students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria ranges from 8.3% to less than 30%

Summary

Introduction

It is estimated that 2.3 million new HIV infections occurred globally with sub-Saharan Africa contributing 80%.1, 2, 3 In a World Health Organization (WHO) report on universal access in 2008, on the average, as few as 10.3% of men and 10.9% of women in the general population had ever been tested for HIV and received their test results. Saharan African countries indicated that less than 1 in 3 adolescent girls aged 15-19 years reported having ever tested for HIV and received the results.[5] In the Eastern and Southern Africa, 29% of adolescent girls’ age 15-19 years reported having ever had an HIV test and have received the results, which was higher than adolescent boys (20%) This was attributed to early pregnancies that led to care at maternal health services and HIV testing.[6] In 2012, the number of men and women age 15-49 years who received HIV testing and counseling in the previous 12 months and who knew their results (excluding pregnant women) in Nigeria was 2,628,108.7 The 2012 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey (NARHS) reported that the HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) uptake was 62.5% of 4547 females and 68.3% of 3657 males who

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion