PRACTICES TOWARDS VOLUNTARY COUNSELING AND TESTING FOR HIV/AIDS AMONG YOUTHS AT BUSOTA HEALTH CENTRE III KAMULI DISTRICT. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70659/gjhib.v2i2.24Keywords:
HIV/AIDS, Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT), Busota Health Centre III, Kamuli DistrictAbstract
Background.
One of the most important intervention strategies adopted by SNAP in the effort to curb the gradual rise in the number of people infected and affected by the epidemic is to encourage people to know their HIV Status and act accordingly. This study examined the Practices towards Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV/AIDs among youths at Busota Health Centre III, Kamuli District.
Methodology
A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used, and data was collected from a sample of 60 respondents. The respondents were selected by using a purposive sampling method as a sampling technique and a semi-structured questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions written in English as a data collection tool. Data was analyzed manually using tally sheets and entered into the computer using the Microsoft Excel computer program illustrated using graphs and figures for quantitative data.
Result
Most (43.3%) respondents reported that they were Anglican, (40%) of the respondents had attained primary level of education. Up to (60%) of the respondents reported that they had ever taken HIV/AIDS testing service before (86%) of these had taken the test voluntarily, (55.5%) of the respondents had done the test from a primary health facility and (55.6%) reported that they had tested for HIV/AIDS in the last 12 months. The majority of the respondents (40%) had only one sexual partner with whom they had done testing and counseling.
Conclusion.
The overall practices of youth towards HIV/AIDS counseling and testing were fair. This was in view that the majority of the respondents had ever taken HIV/AIDS testing services before voluntarily.
Recommendations.
The Ministry of Health should put in place more HIV testing centers to make HIV testing more easily accessible by literally everyone, anywhere.
References
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