| dc.description.abstract | Background:
Globally, the number of people living with HIV has increased from around 8 million in 1990
to 34 million by the end of 2010 with a stabilization of the overall growth of the epidemic in
recent years. HIV counseling and testing (HCT) has been prioritized as a critical gate way to
essential services of prevention, treatment, care and support of HIV and AIDS. HCT
empowers an individual as well as couples to adopt measures of preventing the acquisition
and transmission of HIV infection. The MJAP annual performance report, (2013/2014) on
Mulago hospital showed that out of the 73,461 individuals who were counseled and tested,
28,723 were HIV re-testers with an infection rate of around 10.2 per cent (2,930/28,723).
Objective:
The study aim was to establish whether the HIV re-testing practice assisted clients
to adopt measures and maintain HIV-risk reducing behaviors.
Methodology:
This was a cross-sectional study design. The study population were clients
aged 15-49 who had come for HIV counselling and testing.143 study participants were
selected by simple random sampling using a rotary method.
Results:
143 participants in the age range of 15 to 49 years were interviewed and females
accounted for the majority at 60.84 %( 87). Out of the 143participants, 44.1 %( 63) had never
tested for HIV before, 36.4 %( 52) had tested once and 19.5 %( 28) had tested twice and
more. Of the 63 first time testers 12.7 %( 8) participants tested HIV positive and
approximately 6.3 %( 5) of the 80 re-testers tested HIV positive. Secondary education level
(OR 0.463 95% CI (0.218-0.984) P= 0.045) had a significant association with HIV re-testing,
and partner testing for HIV (OR 0.654 95% CI (0.428-0.999) P= 0.049) had a significant
association with the HIV re-testing practice.
Conclusion:
The risky sexual behavioral practices such as having unprotected sex with a
person who does not know his/her HIV sero status was highly associated with HIV re-testing
practice.
Recommendation:
In order to effectively address the HIV re-testing practice, there is need to
design and implement HIV re-testing specific interventions such as strengthening efforts to
identify, counsel and provide risk reduction plans for those who are persistently at risk of
HIV acquisition and intensify couple HIV counseling and testing | en_US |
