Barriers to HIV prevention among adolescents in Njombe, Tanzania: Knowledge gaps and accessibility of sexual and reproductive health services

Abstract

Background: HIV remains a significant global public health issue, claiming 36.3 million lives worldwide. In 2020, approximately 1.75 million adolescents aged 10-19 were living with HIV globally, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 88% of these cases. Tanzania has a national HIV prevalence of 4.8% among individuals aged 15-49, with the Njombe region reporting the highest prevalence at 11.4%. Despite efforts to combat HIV, adolescents often receive less focus in intervention programs, resulting in inadequate adolescent-friendly services and low HIV testing coverage. This study aimed to assess the barriers to HIV prevention among adolescents in Njombe, focusing on their knowledge and access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services

Methods: A descriptive research approach was used, targeting adolescents aged 15-19 from Agnes Trust and Mpechi secondary schools in Ramadhani and Mji Mwema wards. A total of 155 students were selected through purposive sampling. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using STATA version 17.

Results: The study revealed that 67.1% of adolescents had good knowledge of HIV prevention, with females demonstrating slightly better knowledge (70.11%) compared to males (63.24%). However, only 69.68% had access to SRHR services, with counseling and testing (31.61%) and health education (30.97%) being the most common services received. Despite this, condom use remained low, with only 3.7% taking condoms during SRHR service participation.

Conclusion: While adolescents in Njombe have a good understanding of HIV prevention, there are significant gaps in the consistent use of preventive measures like condoms. Enhanced community awareness, better access to SRHR services, and targeted interventions for male adolescents are recommended to address these gaps and reduce HIV prevalence among adolescents in the region. Further research is needed to explore additional factors contributing to the high HIV prevalence in Njombe.