Prevalence of HIV testing and associated factors among young adolescents in Eswatini: a secondary data analysis

Abstract

Background HIV testing is a crucial starting point for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of HIV. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest global HIV/AIDS prevalence and mortality, yet HIV testing remains sub-optimal. Thus, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of HIV testing and associated factors among young adolescents aged 10 to 14 years in Eswatini, a country with the highest HIV prevalence in the world. Methods Data were obtained from Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey between 2016 and 2017 (SHIMS 2), an internationally supported national survey aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. A total of 739 young adolescents aged 10 to 14 years were selected for the final analysis after deleting cases with missing values for the key variables. The effects of demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge, HIV risk perception, belief about HIV testing, perceived service accessibility, and parent-child sexual and reproductive health communication on lifetime HIV testing as an outcome variable, were explored using multivariable logistic regression. Results Only 52.0% of young adolescents reported “ever tested” for HIV in their lifetime. Age (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.73–0.90), residence (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.43–0.74), and perceived service accessibility (OR = 3.10, (95% CI = 1.47–6.56) were identified as important factors associated with receiving HIV testing among young adolescents. Conclusions A low rate of HIV testing was identified among young adolescents in Eswatini compared to the intended global goal of HIV testing coverage. Our findings suggested the importance of young adolescent-friendly educational and environmental interventions needed to improve the prevalence of HIV testing by reducing misperceptions about the risk of HIV and alleviating environmental constraints to access to HIV services.

Prevalence of HIV testing uptake among the never-married young men (15–24) in sub-Saharan Africa: An analysis of demographic and health survey data (2015–2020)

“…One explanation for this could be the fact that many young people rarely receive thorough sexuality education and are less aware of the health hazards connected with HIV. This makes them less knowledgeable about the value of routine HIV testing and the advantages of early detection [ 42 , 43 ].…”

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“…Another plausible reason for this could be the low-risk perception of being young and active and lacking physical signs of HIV. Young men who perceive their risk of HIV as low and do not have access to HIV testing services are less likely to have received an HIV test in their lifetime [46,47].…”

“…Another plausible reason could be that young men have a low-risk perception and are unaware of the physical signs of HIV and its adverse consequences [53]. Evidence has shown that young men with low-risk perceptions who do not have access to HIV testing services are less likely to have received an HIV test in their lifetime [54,55]. Youth-friendly health services can help close the HIV testing gap among young men by addressing access barriers, providing a more accessible, equitable, and effective social environment, and linking to HIV treatment and care.…”

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