HIV/AIDS Status Awareness among the Youth is Critical to Prevention: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is the leading cause of death among adolescents in Kenya according to National AIDS Control Council (NACC) report. For that reason, new, innovative and creative HIV prevention strategies among this high risk group are required. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the level of HIV/AIDS awareness, attitudes towards HIV testing, source of HIV/AIDS information, HIV status awareness, behavioral change among fresh first year students at a public university. This was a descriptive survey conducted between the months of September to October 2016 at Kirinyaga University. Through probability sampling, fresh first year degree and diploma students attending their first HIV/AIDS lecture were randomly selected and given self-administering questionnaires after signing an informed consent. The data was analyzed using SPSS software (IBM version 23.0) and results presented as summary tables and bar graphs. Despite majority of respondents rating their HIV/AIDS awareness as good, 44% of the male and 35% of the female participants did not know their HIV status by the time they joined university. Importantly, 89% of males and 82% female respondents reported that knowledge of their HIV status influenced their behavior towards protecting themselves and others. This indicated that HIV status awareness was a critical prevention strategy among the youth as it influences behavioral change and should be promoted at all costs. Furthermore, fear was a common factor for lack of HIV testing. Of concern, educational institutions, social medial were the main source of HIV/AIDS information to the respondents, indicating that parents and the church had abdicated their roles in instructing their children or followers on HIV/AIDS. These findings are important when designing HIV prevention, elimination strategies and policies among the youth. In addition, it will inform policy makers in developing new effective HIV prevention policies, strategies among this high risk group and stem the rise in new annual infections. This will help in attainment of UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategy on achieving zero transmission rate by 2020, UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number 3 on ensuring healthy lives and promotion of wellbeing for all at all ages and Kenya’s Vision 2030 of a HIV free society by 2030.