HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC) is a critical strategy to reduce the rate of new HIV infections and the key entry point to HIV treatment, care and support services. This study aimed to determine the uptake of HTC among students of tertiary institutions in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana. This was a quantitative cross-sectional study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data among a proportionate stratified sample of students from tertiary institutions. Chi-square and Logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata version 12.0 at the 0.05 level of significance. Only 30.6% of the total respondents had ever tested for HIV/AIDS of which, only 22.9% tested less than 6 months before the current study. Students above twenty-four years of age were 3 times more likely to go for HTC than those below 20 years [OR=2.56 (95% CI: 1.07-6.11; p=0.034)]; those in the fourth year of study were 3 times more likely get HTC than those in the first year [OR=3.05 (95%CI: 1.10-8.49; p=0.033)]; and those attending THERESCO, the Midwifery training college and UHAS were more than 2 times more likely to get tested for HIV than those attending FRANCO [OR =2.67 (95% CI: 1.14-6.15; p=0.024)], [OR=2.40 (95% CI: 1.04-5.54; p=0.040)] and [OR=2.63 (95% CI: 1.13-6.13; p=0.026)] respectively. The uptake of HTC among tertiary institution students in Hohoe municipality was considerably low. Policymakers should design programs and interventions that would increase uptake of HTC among tertiary students, with focus on those aged less than 20 years, those at the lower level of study and those in the non-health related institutions.
Background: Migration, mobility, and HIV/AIDS are well-documented interlinked phenomena. While the Cameroon AIDS Strategic Plan 2014-2017 focuses on the key populations, little was mentioned on migrant workers. Nevertheless, the inclusion of migrant workers in the road construction sector in the national strategic plan offers a critical opportunity to design and deliver HIV services that meet their needs. Risk perception of HIV/AIDS should accompany risky sexual behaviour change. This study investigated the predictors of perception of risk of contracting HIV among migrant road construction workers in the Southwest region of Cameroon using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as the theoretical framework. Methods:A cross-sectional survey of a stratified sample of 254 road construction workers was conducted at construction sites along the Kumba-Mamfe road in December 2015. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and analysed using binomial logistic regression using SPSS version 20 at the level 0.05. Results:Only 109 (42.9%) perceived that they are at risk of contracting HIV. Apart from perceived susceptibility to HIV which was found to be a significant predictor of the perception of risk of contracting HIV: OR=5.12 (95% CI 0.667-15.604, p=0.004), none of the other constructs of the HBM was a significant predictor of perception of risk of contracting HIV. However, the perception that HIV is deadly (perceived severity) was associated with an increased likelihood of perception of risk of contracting HIV: OR=1.23 (95% CI 0.523-2.893, p=0.635); the perception that consistent condom use could prevent HIV transmission (perceived benefit) was associated with an increased likelihood of perception of risk of contracting HIV: OR=1.25 (95% CI 0.518-3.008, p=0.621); the perception by workers that they could refuse sex with their partners if they refused to use condoms (perceived self-efficacy) was associated with an increased likelihood of perception of risk of contracting HIV: OR=2.04 (95% CI 0.888-4.693, p=0.093). Conclusion:There is the need for sensitization programmes and interventions to increase the perception of susceptibility to HIV/AIDS among migrant road construction workers, which will, in turn, increase their perception of risk of contracting HIV and consequently bring about sexual behaviour change.
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