Schooling Adolescent Girls’ Perception and Attitude Towards Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT): The Case of Morogoro Municipal in Morogoro Region

Abstract

The study to assess schooling adolescent girls’ perception and attitude towards voluntary counselling and testing was conducted in 2009 in Morogoro Municipality. A sample of 110 respondents was chosen from 4 secondary schools and 1 teachers’ college. The objectives were to determine the knowledge of adolescent girls on HIV/AIDS, examine their perception or attitude towards voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), and to examine the extent of HIV/AIDS test among schooling adolescent girls. The study results show that most schooling adolescent girls (77.3%) got information about HIV and AIDS when they were in primary school. The number of those who went for VCT was small. Those who had not gone for VCT uptake gave the following reasons: afraid of knowing their status (36.8%) since if found positive it will frustrate them; trust themselves (36.8%) because they had never involved in sex; use condom every time they had sex (19.1%); and HIV and AIDS is just the same as other diseases (7.3%). The study concludes that schooling adolescent girls believe that HIV and AIDS is only transmitted through heterosexual contact since even those who had never had sex did not see the point of going for VCT services. Those who had had sexual experience seem not to understand the potential benefits of knowing their HIV and AIDS status. It is recommended that VCT service be provided within the school or college compound at least once a year. Also, there is need to strengthen the quality of knowledge given at schools and colleges on HIV/AIDS so that it can encourage students to undertake VCT.