Factors Associated with Low Uptake of HIV Testing Among Middle-Aged 15-17 Years Old Adolescent Girls in Uganda
Abstract:
Background: There are significant gaps in the HIV clinical cascade among young people in terms of reaching the 90 90–90 targets set by Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS. The impact of recent interventions on uptake of HIV testing among women 15-24 years is unknown. To inform efforts in the implementation of “test-and-treat’, we draw on data collected by the Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2016 to assess rate of HIV testing uptake and associated factors among young women aged 15–24 years in Uganda.
Methods: The analysis used the UDHS 2016 survey data. Univariate analysis was used summarize rate of HIV testing uptake among women 15-25 years. Bivariate analysis to examine associations between socio-demographic factors, HIV knowledge, socio-cultural factors and outcome variable. A complete case analysis was used and missing observations for women were disregarded. All variable with p< 0.2 were included in the multivariate analysis. Using the backward elimination strategy, a set of variables significant at p <0.05 were identified and included in the final model. Statistical analyses where be performed using the Stata version 14.
Results: The overall mean age of the study participants was19.3 ± 2.88 years and a median of 19 (IQR: 17- 22) years. Uptake of HIV testing was observed to be associated with age group, secondary/higher education, marital status, being employed year-round, media exposure, and age at sexual debut, number of lifetime sexual partners and level of HIV knowledge. Young women with a high level of HIV knowledge were 3.65 (95% CI: 1.68, 7.96) times more likely to up take HIV testing when compared to those with a low level of HIV knowledge. Compared to those with no lifetime sexual partners, young with one reported lifetime sexual partner were 3.76 (95%CI: 2.88, 4.90) times more likely to uptake HIV testing; those with two partners 3.89(2.86, 5.28) times more likely and 5.53(4.13, 7.39) times more likely to uptake HIV testing among those with 3 or more lifetime sexual partners.
Conclusion: There was significant improvement in HIV testing uptake among women 15-24 years, uptake among middle adolescents remained very low. Local and international implementing partners should focus their efforts to promoting HIV testing uptake among middle adolescents
