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HIV/AIDS awareness and testing practices among adolescents in eastern Ethiopia
Author(s) -
Tesfaye Gezahegn,
Dessie Yadeta,
Berhane Yemane,
Assefa Nega,
Semahegn Agumasie,
Canavan Chelsey R.,
Fawzi Wafaie W.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/tmi.13337
Subject(s) - medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , quarter (canadian coin) , rural area , cross sectional study , demography , developing country , public health , environmental health , population , family medicine , nursing , geography , archaeology , pathology , sociology , economic growth , economics
Objective To examine HIV/AIDS awareness, HIV testing practices and associated factors among adolescents in two eastern Ethiopian communities. Methods Community‐based, cross‐sectional study among 2010 adolescents aged 10–19 years. Participants were asked about their awareness of HIV/AIDS and HIV testing practices, and whether they had ever been tested for HIV. Regression models were applied to identify the factors of statistical significance at P ‐value < 0.05. Results Of 90% were aware of HIV/AIDS, but only a quarter had ever been tested for HIV. Rural adolescents were less aware of HIV than urban adolescents (AOR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.58), and in‐school adolescents had more knowledge about HIV/AIDS than that out‐of‐school adolescents (AOR = 2.79; 95% CI: 1.88, 4.15). Factors associated with lower uptake of HIV testing were male sex (AOR = 0.74; 95% CI; 0.58, 0.91) and being from a rural area (AOR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.36). Factors associated with higher uptake of HIV testing were being in school (AOR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.38), using the Internet (AOR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.28), and ever visiting a health facility (AOR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.96). Conclusions Awareness of HIV/AIDS was high, whereas HIV testing was rare. HIV awareness programs for adolescents should target rural and out‐of‐school adolescents. Programmes to increase HIV testing implemented in these and similar communities should focus on male and rural adolescents.