Factors Associated with HIV Testing Among Public Sector Clinic Attendees in Johannesburg, South Africa
Abstract
Uptake of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) remains low in many sub-Saharan African countries. Men and women aged 15 and older were recruited from a family planning, STI, and VCT clinic in inner-city Johannesburg between 2004 and 2005 to take part in a cross-sectional survey on HIV testing (n = 198). 48% of participants reported previously being tested for HIV and, of these, 86.9% reported disclosing their status to their sex partner. In multivariable analyses, individuals whose partners had been tested for HIV were more likely to have been tested (AOR 2.92; 95% CI: 1.38–6.20). In addition, those who reported greater blame/shame attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS were less likely to have been tested (AOR 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16–0.77) while those reporting more equitable attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS were more likely to have been tested (AOR 2.87; 95% CI: 1.20–6.86). Promotion of and increased access to couples HIV testing should be made available within the South African context.
Citation
AIDS and Behavior (2008), electronically published ahead of print, 18 October 2008 [DOI:10.1007/s10461-008-9462-5]