HIV-AIDS EDUCATION AND WILLINGNESS TO VCT AMONG YOUTH
Nyoman Agus Jagat Raya
Medical Surgical Nursing Department
Nursing Study Program, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University Bali, Indonesia
Email: jagatraya.bali@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The HIV-AIDS education is very important given to the young age because the spread of HIV-AIDS among productive age groups especially among youth in the world is increasing. Knowledge of HIV-AIDS will have an influence and an impact for Voluntary Counseling Testing (VCT). The purpose of this literature review is to know about HIV-AIDS education and willingness to VCT among young age. Literature review was conducted from several publications and journal articles from open access publisher from 2010-2015. There were significant correlation between HIV-AIDS education and willingness to VCT among youth. Better knowledge on HIV-AIDS has influenced on attitudes to VCT, although there were contributing factors and hindering factors to VCT. HIV-AIDS education and HIV-AIDS intervention program especially for youth. It must not only provide accurate information, but also must be made to provide health service access for youth friendly, and is to understand the needs of the youth related to sexual rights and reproductive.
INTRODUCTION
Adolescence is a period of growth that
has become the focus of attention of most
people in the phase of growth and
development, starting from the times of
search for identity, the development of
freedom of the parents, and the preparation
for membership in social organizations
(Bowden and Cindy, 2010). Hockenberry
and Davin estimate that more than half the
adolescents had at least one sexual
experience after finishing high school with a
friend or a friend of the opposite sex
(Hockenberry and David, 2009). Its
behavior can increase a risk of sexual health
problems in adolescents, if sexual behavior
of adolescence is unsafe or does not perform
a clean treatment processes in the
reproductive organs. One of sexual health
issues could be happened is Human
Immunodeficiency Virus - Acquired
Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-
AIDS).
HIV-AIDS, part of the IMS, which
became a global health problem. According
to the United Nations Program on
HIV-AIDS (UNAIDS) World Health
Organization (WHO) in 2014 reported an
increase in cases of the year 2010 as many
as 34 million people until the end of 2013,
there were an average of 35 million (33.2 to
37.2 million) people living with HIV
worldwide. New cases of HIV in 2013 are
estimated at 2.1 million cases (1.9 to 2.4
million). People who have received
antiretroviral therapy (ARV) to June 2014
only reached 13.6 million people (UNAIDS,
2014).
A more serious challenge today, is the
growing infection rates among adolescence.
Research has shown that highest group
found to be infected with the virus is the
age-group 15-24. The youth high-risk group
accounts for 60% of all new infections in
many countries. For example, in
sub-Saharan African, which has just over 10% of the world’s population, remains the most seriously affected region (Asante, 2013). An
estimated population of over 150 million
people, Nigeria currently has the second
highest number of infected person, over 3.4
million. Risky sexual activities particularly
among young people ages 15-24 years are
responsible for 80% of new HIV infection
with prevalence of 4.1%, same as the
national rate (Oladunni, 2013).
Meanwhile, Indonesia has a number of
youth as much as 64 million or 27.6% of the
total population of Indonesia (BKKBN,
2013). Fairly high number of the youth who
have become a serious concern in dealing
sex, multiple sexual partners, sexual
violence and transactional sex exchange.
According to the Demographic and Health
Survey (2007), general knowledge about
reproductive health is still low. Young
people make up around 30% of the
most-at-risk population, where HIV prevalence is
higher. Estimates in 2011 placed prevalence
rates at 36% amongst injecting drug users,
22% amongst transgender, 10% amongst
female sex workers, 8.5% amongst men who
have sex with men (UNICEF Indonesia,
2012).
Access to sexual and reproductive health
service and access for the young people to
HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support
are some of the key target of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Over the
years, effort have been directed at different
preventive strategies including abstinence
from sex, being faithful to an uninfected
partner, screening of blood and blood
products, use condom correctly, do not
drugs injection, and take information about
HIV-AIDS its self. HIV counseling and
testing (HCT), one of the strategies is used
as a key entry point for all form of HIV and
AIDS prevention and control interventions,
including treatment, care, and support
program (Onipede and Okoukoni, 2011).
Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is
one of the other different forms of HCT.
VCT prevents transmission of the virus
by combining personalized counseling with knowledge of one’s HIV status, to motivate people to change their behavior. As an
important and cost-effective HIV prevention
strategy, with an increasing role in
improving access to care and support, VCT
services have been widely promoted in
developing countries, as part of their
primary health care package (Mahato,
2013). VCT and the knowledge of
HIV-AIDS have related each other.
In 1999, a survey of HIV-AIDS related
knowledge and sexual practices was
conducted among student at the University of Botswana, USA, the country’s major center of education and higher learning,
which found that high levels of risky
behavior were prevalent among students
despite widespread knowledge that these
behaviors may lead to HIV-1 infection
(Wester, 2012). In Indonesia, study in five
provinces showed an increase in
comprehensive knowledge about HIV-AIDS
amongst youth in the general population,
from 11.4% in 2010 to 20.6% in 2011, with
similar proportions for men and women
(UNICEF Indonesia, 2012). Based on this
willingness to VCT among youth have
correlation in each other. Thus, it will be
analyzed by collecting some articles and
journals, which have been published.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Writer wrote by literature review from
few articles and journals publication, which
is taken from full text electronic database,
started from 2010 until 2015. Keyword is
used are HIV-AIDS, willingness, VCT, and
youth. Writer focuses on journals and
articles that use English or international
journal. Purposes of this literature review to
descript and analyzes the literature about
related HIV-AIDS education to willingness
to do VCT among youth from few countries
in the world.
FINDINGS
Journal 1
Knowledge of HIV and VCT and attitude to VCT among National Youth Service Corps members in Ilesa and Ife, South Western Nigeria
Result:
Total of 307 out of 330 questionnaires Knowledge of HIV AIDS; 32% poor,
20% good, 48% fair.
Knowledge of VCT; 29% poor, good 20%, fair 51%.
Attitude to VCT; 42% negative and 58% positive.
Journal 2
HIV/AIDS knowledge and uptake of HIV counseling and testing among under graduated private university students in Accra, Ghana
Result:
Knowledge of the modes of HIV transmission was high as majority of the respondents (96%) correctly identify one or more modes, 50% more than two, 24% more than three, 22% only single way of HIV transmission, 4% unable to identify. Knowledge of prevention; 78% know
to use condom, 70% abstinence, 63% avoiding sharing object, 57% being faithful.
Knowledge of treatment for HIV/AIDS high 89% no cure for AIDS.
Over 95% of the students were knowledgeable about where to get an HIV test, but only 45.4% had tested for HIV. Over half (54.6%) of the participants had not tested for HIV prior to the study. Additionally, 62.7% indicated would test for HIV in the future, with more males (67%) showing more willingness than females (33%).
Journal 3
Factors hindering acceptance of HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) among youths in Kwara State, Nigeria Result:
stigmatization (2.15), discrimination (1.90), religious belief (1.63), cultural belief (1.35), parental pressure (1.20), inadequate motivation (1.18).
Journal 4
Factors contributing to voluntary counseling and testing uptake among youth in collage of Harar, Ethiopia
Result:
Socio-demographic characteristic: age, sex, religion, ethnicity, place of previous resident, pocket money, marital status, department, performance of religious activity, year of study.
VCT Uptake: among student (52.8%) participated of them has been tested HIV.
Variables to contributing: willing to pay for VCT service (65.0%), know person living with HIV/AIDS (60.8%), have colleagues utilized VCT (65.2%), have promoted VCT for (59.7%).
Discussed with family on HIV (58.3%).
Journal 5
Willingness to Seek Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT): An Empirical Analysis Among Sagamu Residents of Ogun State, Nigeria
Result:
A significant positive relationship was found between participant’ knowledge of VCT and willingness to seek VCT service (r287=0.371, p<0.05).
A positive correlation that was
statistically significant was found (r287=0.371, p<0.05).
DISCUSSION
Health education about HIV-AIDS is
important to increase the knowledge of the
people, especially for the youth. Health
education is a process to go up the
knowledge and skill, to influence behavior
and attitude that be required to protect and
increase the health. Health education is
explained by health worker, especially
nurses (Rankin, Stallings, London, 2005).
The study examined knowledge and attitude
to HIV and VCT among corps members in
Ilesa and Ile-Ifa, Nigeria shows that corps
had fair knowledge of HIV and a fair
knowledge of VCT, with 42% negative to do
VCT (Amu et al, 2014). Findings from this study are consistent with the outcomes of
some of the previous studies that have
established a high level of HIV-AIDS
awareness and knowledge among young
people. It has also been established that this
level of knowledge does not translate to
positive action of HIV prevention and
control, like to do VCT (Daniyam, et al, 2010; Kitara and Ecik, 2011; Oladunni,
2013).
The study about HIV/AIDS knowledge
among under graduated private university
students in Accra, Ghana shows that
understanding of HIV-AIDS prevention. It
shows knowledge of prevention that 78%
know to use condom, 70% abstinence, 63%
avoiding sharing object, 57% being faithful
(Dirar et al, 2013). The results of this study are consistent with the study from Botswana
about prevent of HIV with condom. It is
explain about all the students knew that the
HIV epidemic in Botswana is mainly
attributed to unprotected heterosexual sex,
that regular use of condoms prevent HIV
and other sexually transmitted infections.
However, only two-thirds of respondents
thought it was common for students to
always use condom. (Wester, 2012).
Factors hindering acceptance of
HIV/AIDS VCT: ignorance (3.22), fear of
being positive (3.19), cost of VCT (2.85),
inadequacy of VCT centres (2.55),
stigmatization (2.15), discrimination (1.90),
religious belief (1.63), cultural belief (1.35),
parental pressure (1.20), inadequate
motivation (1.18) (Yahaya et al, 2010). This indicated that more awareness should be
created among rural youth on the need for
HIV-AIDS VCT. This result correspond
with the result of a study factor influencing
VCT service utilization among the youths,
which shows The youth respondents cited
general lack of confidence provided in
public health facilities, fear of testing
positive, negative stigmatization of the
disease and death. In the absence of
treatment option; many youth respondents
does not see the benefits of testing, while
testing itself regardless of the outcome was
seen by many as putting one at risk of loss
of social status and discrimination in the
society. Out of the 48% of the youth
respondents, who had not been tested, had
high level of stigma and negative attitude
towards testing (Ndwiga et al, 2014).
On the other hand, the factors
contributing to VCT, its variables are
willing to pay VCT service 65%, know
person living with HIV-AIDS 60,8%, have
colleagues utilized VCT 65,2%, and have
promoted VCT 59,7%. The major sources of
information were mass media and health
worker (Asante, 2013). It can be said that
level of knowledge about HIV-AIDS seem
to be high among study subjects. The study
from Ethiopia about factors affecting
accessibility and acceptability of VCT, it
shows about 83% of the respondents know
about whether one can check his/her HIV
status or not and almost similarly proportion
know where the VCT service is available,
and more than 94% felt that VCT is
From an empirical analysis among
Sagamu Resident of Ogun State, Nigeria
that is described a significant relationship was found between participant’s knowledge of VCT and willingness to seek VCT
services such that participants with high
knowledge have tendencies toward seeking
VCT that those with low knowledge
(Nkiruka et al, 2015). Using educator from health worker or NGOs that know about HIV-AIDS’s information has proven to be very effective in increasing knowledge
regarding HIV and VCT services (Mahato,
2013).
CONCLUSSION
This study concluded the HIV-AIDS
education and willingness to VCT among
youth, which has hindering and contributing
factors. This literature review shows that
knowledge is important to get information
about HIV-AIDS. This indicated that more
awareness should be created and people
should be encouraged to obtain information
about their HIV status and seek prompt
counseling and medical intervention where
necessary.
RECOMMENDATION
Government should establish more VCT
centers in both rural and urban areas to bring
VCT services to the door step of the
citizens, especially for the youth.
Information about HIV-AIDS should be
spread to school and college or university, to
decrease negative stigmatization about VCT.
Interventions promoting the perceived
benefits of HIV testing need to be developed
and communicated to the population for
uptake of VCT.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Writer would like to thank the
University of Udayana, which has had held
The 1st International Nursing Conference and the journal’s media that give information about HIV-AIDS. Moreover,
this literature review can be done by writer
on time.
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