Assessment of barriers to HIV Screening among adolescents in Girls Secondary School, Abayi, Aba.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: According to Adolescents Human Immune Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) screening policy in Nigeria, all adolescents attending health facilities—including inpatient and outpatient clinics such as general outpatient, Sexually Transmitted Infection, family planning, tuberculosis, and surgical outpatient should be screened on each visit. Early detection of the virus enables early initiation of treatment and this is known to improve the outcome of treatment and quality of life. Adolescents are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and as such should embrace HIV screening. Despite high HIV incidence rate, and prevalence of AIDS-associated mortality among adolescents, screening uptake among this age group has remained low. This low HIV
screening uptake suggests the presence of barriers limiting testing among this age group. This study seeks to assess the barriers to HIV screening among adolescents.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the barriers to HIV screening among adolescents in Girls’ Secondary School Abayi, Aba.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive-cross sectional study was conducted among students of Girls’ Secondary School Abayi. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from adolescents within the ages of 10-19 years. The data was then presented using tables and figures.
RESULTS: In this study, only 6.7% of the adolescents have done HIV counseling and testing at least once. The following were identified as barriers to HIV screening; not knowing where the tests were done [18.6%,] cannot tell their parents to take them to a screening center [18.3%], screening center was far from home [6.2%], could not afford the transportation fee [4.2%], had no reason [52.7%]. The following were the reasons why they would not do HIV screening
if an opportunity was provided; fear of result outcome [23.5%], shame of being judged by the screening provider [11.1%], fear of being discriminated if result turned out positive [14.4%], anxiety of awaiting result [10.65%], had no reason [40.3%].
CONCLUSION: Fear of a positive result, stigmatization, and poor awareness were the major barriers to HIV screening among adolescents. Until stigmatization is reduced to the barest minimum by providing more knowledge and a supportive environment where learners can feel they have adequate support, creating more awareness on HIV screening will not be enough to increase HIV counseling and testing uptake.