Factors influencing the use of voluntary counselling and testing by university students

Abstract

The study explored the factors influencing the use of voluntary counselling and testing by university students. This was done by undertaking an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study. Focus group discussions and field notes were used to collect data from the participants. Outcomes from the study revealed various factors to the uptake of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services by university students namely: the desire to know one‟s HIV status, illness, pregnancy, blood donation, to get a reward, the influence of significant others, the influence of media, awareness campaigns, compulsion, to get a job, curiosity, to be a positive role model and the positive attitude and professional conduct of the health care provider. The study also revealed various challenges to the uptake of VCT services by university students namely: the fear of being diagnosed HIV positive, HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, the low perception of risk to HIV infection, the lack of student friendly VCT services, the shortage of human and infrastructural resources, the inaccessibility of VCT services, the long waiting period for test results, negative perceptions about VCT, the problems with pre-test counselling and ignorance. Going by the participants‟ suggestions VCT services uptake by university students could be improved by increased resource allocation (incentives, human and infrastructural resources), increased awareness campaigns, and improved counselling and making VCT services more accessible