Trends and correlates of HIV testing amongst women: lessons learnt from Kenya
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Date
2013
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
AOSIS
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A majority of women in Kenya do not know their HIV status and are
therefore unable to take preventive measures or medication in order to prolong their
lives.
OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the key determinants of HIV testing in Kenya and
documents how these changed over the 1998-2008 period.
METHOD: This study uses data from the 1998, 2003 and 2008 Kenya Demographic and
Health surveys. Principal components analysis was used to compute indices of HIV
knowledge, HIV-related stigma, media exposure and decision making. Survey logistic
regression analysis was used to determine factors that had a statistically-significant
association with ever having been tested for HIV.
RESULTS: Testing was significantly higher in 2008 compared with the previous surveys.
In 1998, 14.7% of the women had tested for HIV. The rate increased to 15.0% in 2003 and
then to 59.2% in 2008. In the 1998 and 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health surveys,
respondents' age, region of residence, education, knowledge of someone who had died
from HIV-related illness and media exposure were the main determinants of testing. In
the 2008 study, HIV-related stigma, occupation and the partner's level of education were
found to be associated with HIV testing.
CONCLUSION: Despite efforts to scale up voluntary counselling and testing in Kenya over
the 1998-2008 period, HIV testing amongst women is still quite low. Prevention and
control programmes in Kenya need to focus on reducing HIV-related stigma, increasing
access to testing in rural areas and increasing access amongst women with little or no
education.
Description
Keywords
HIV testing, Women in Kenya, Prevention, Demographic and Health surveys, Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing (VCT)
Citation
Achia, T.N.O. and Obayo, A.E. (2013). Trends and correlates of HIV testing amongst women: lessons learnt from Kenya. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 5(1): 1-10