Assessment of Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing Service Utilization and Associated Socio-Demographic among Secondary School Teachers in Nyando, Kisumu County Kenya: A Descriptive Cross Sectional Survey

Abstract

Voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) is one of the key tools in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control programs in Kenya. But utilization of VCT services among out secondary school teachers in Kenya is low.  The aim of this study was to assess Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing Service utilization and associated socio-demographic factors among secondary school teachers since most school-based HIV interventions in sub-Saharan Africa rely on teachers as behavior formation and behavior-change agents to deliver prevention messages to school children. The study sample consisted of 255 secondary school teachers (36% females and 64% males) out of a total of 753 teachers from 73 secondary schools in the seven divisions in Nyando district. Stratified sampling was used to select the number of schools per division to be included in the study while simple random sampling was used to select schools in each division.Self-administered questionnaires and focus group discussions were used to estimate the prevalence of VCT service utilization and to assess associated socio-demographic factors among the secondary school teachers.Cross tabulation was used to show relationships between the independent and the dependent variables, and chi-square was used to test for existence of relationships between the variables, p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Information from in-depth discussions was analyzed manually using qualitative methods. The data was presented descriptively and through the use of frequency tables and bar graphs. The study found significant relationships between utilization of VCT services and gender (p=0.003) and age (p=0.004), but not level of education, marital status, religious affiliation or area of residence. Spousal approval of VCT utilization emerged as the most significant social factor affecting utilization of VCT services (p=0.019). HIV/VCT utilization among secondary school teachers in Nyando County remain low especially among male teachers. HIV/AIDS prevention and control programs among secondary school teachers in Nyando County should focus on the above areas.

Key words: HIV testing, VCT utilization, Knowledge, Secondary school teachers, Nakuru Kenya.