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Attitudes Towards HIV-Antibody Testing Among University Students in Four African Countries

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Abstract

The aims of this study were to examineattitudes towards HIV testing, sexualbehaviour, HIV risk perception and HIV testingbehaviours among university students in fourAfrican countries. The participants consistedof 760 first-year African black universitystudents (351 male, and 409 female) from fourAfrican countries (Nigeria, South Africa,Uganda, and Zimbabwe), in the age range of 17to 44 years (M = 23.6, SD = 4.3). Results showedthat 17.3% of the students indicated that theyhad already been tested for HIV, and of thosewho went for the HIV test 16.2% did not getthe results of the last test. The HIV TestingAttitude Score indicating a positive attitudetowards HIV testing was associated with havinghad an HIV test, the intention to go for an HIVtest, self-rated HIV knowledge, the number ofsex partners in the past 12 months, andpersonally knowing someone with HIV or AIDS.Having had an HIV test and the intention to gofor an HIV test were associated with three HIVtesting attitudes subscales: 'Generalconcerns’, 'Trust and support’, and 'fears’.The 'Confidentiality’ and 'Friends concerns’subscales were also weakly associated with theintention to go for an HIV test.

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Correspondence to Karl Peltzer.

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Peltzer, K., Mpofu, E., Baguma, P. et al. Attitudes Towards HIV-Antibody Testing Among University Students in Four African Countries. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 24, 193–203 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022991522264

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