Evaluation of the effect of adolescent and youth friendly services implementation on HIV testing uptake among youth (aged 15 – 24 years) in health facilities of Amathole district, Eastern Cape

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence and new infections rate among young people in Southern Africa is high despite various programmes implemented to address general population prevention and treatment. The youth has a low HIV testing uptake even though there seems to be high HIV prevalence among this age population group. Youth focused interventions have proven to be a success in encouraging young people to have an HIV test done as part of improved health-seeking behaviours. In South Africa, such an intervention was initially implemented by LoveLife and later adopted in 2006 by the government as Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services (AYFS) for a larger-scale implementation in Primary Health Care facilities as a strategy to improve youth Sexual and Reproductive Health.