14th International AIDS Conference Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. MoOrD1021)

Juma MA, McCauley AP, Kirumira E, Bufumbo L, Kakande N, Kalule J, Lukenge D, Geibel S
Horizons Program/Population Council, Nairobi, Kenya

BACKGROUND: Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) programs have persuaded some adults to adopt behavior that reduces their chances of HIV infection. To see whether VCT would benefit youth, data were collected on young people leaving VCT services. A campaign to attract more young people to VCT followed.

METHODS: 369 youth (ages 14 to 21) were interviewed on exit from services using semi-structured questionnaires and every 15th youth participated in an in-depth interview (40 interviews). Service statistics were reviewed.

RESULTS: Researchers found similarities between males and females who sought services including age, past HIV test (22%, 28%), comfort with provider (99%, 99%), and exposure to VCT messages for youth on radio (67%, 53%). There were, however, some differences between males and females. A profile for female users indicates someone whose partner supports and pays for testing and who is being tested prior to marriage. A profile for young men indicates someone who is supported by his friends but is likely to decide to test, and come to testing, alone and pay for himself. Most young women say that they have been influenced in their decision by partners (61%) while equal numbers of young men report being influenced by partners (33%), friends (32%) or no one (32%). Most girls (75%) had learned about services from partners, peers and siblings compared to 52% of their male counterparts. More girls (64%) than boys (1%) had partners pay for services. About two-thirds of females (65%) were accompanied to VCT services compared to a third of males (31). Data indicate that more females (291) than males (80) came in for services and more girls (49%) than boys (26%) came to be tested before marriage, a requirement of many churches.

CONCLUSION: Data indicate that more girls than boys get tested and more girls than boys receive partner support. Varied strategies must be developed to attract males and females, and different groups of males and females, to VCT.

020707
MoOrD1021

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