Amsterdam 2015
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| Abstract #2315 - Poster 1 | ||||
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Session: 58.13: Poster 1 (Poster) on Tuesday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Mr Abdullah Almilaibary - The University of Hull, United Kingdom |
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| Additional Authors: Dr Kouassi Martin, Mr Brou Sylvain, | ||||
| Aim: Access to HIV-related health services is enhanced globally however opportunities to diagnose patients are often missed, due to genuine barriers at institutional level and perceived barriers at individuals’ level. A low general risk awareness and lack of information are major issues worldwide. Additional problems are identified in resource limited countries such as lacking resources and infrastructure. In the traditional and religious settings of Saudi Arabia as well as other counties, taboo and stigma attached to AIDS has been suggested an important additional barrier preventing people from accepting HIV/AIDS health services. The aim of the study is to examine attitudes towards HIV testing among university students aged between 17-25 years in Saudi Arabia. | ||||
| Method / Issue: A non-experimental descriptive cross-sectional design was used to assess the attitude toward HIV testing among Umm- Al Qura University students aged 17-25 years. A newly developed self-completed online questionnaire was used and the study sample was drawn using a non- probability sampling technique. The questionnaire include 37 statements which were rated on a five point Likert rating scale. 14 statements were denoted as facilitators to undertake HIV test and 23 statements as a barriers to undertake the test. The questionnaire validity and reliability was also assessed. The data were collected between 14th of July and 14th of October 2014. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. | ||||
| Results / Comments: 394 participants completed the questionnaires: 116 (29.4%) male and 278 (70%) female. 50.5% of the participants were aged 20 to 22 years, 34.8% were 17-19 years and 14.7% were aged between 23-25 years about 93% of the participants were single. Only 20 (6%) participants had previously been tested for HIV. The main reasons for not being tested for HIV were: exposure to HIV was considered unlikely (48%), HIV test was not offered (36%) and unawareness of HIV testing centers (16%). The female participants showed slightly more positive attitudes towards HIV testing than male participants: the mean score for males was (M = 108.14, SD = 17.9) and was (M = 111.32, SD = 17.3) for females. It is also noted that the difference between male and female participants mean scores are statistically insignificant as p > 0.05, 95% Cl (-7.37 to 1.01). | ||||
| Discussion: Although the attitude toward HIV testing were reasonably positive, the utilization of the HIV test were low. Thus, addressing the negative attitudes toward HIV testing will help health care providers and health policy makers in planning and establishing HIV services that competent and acceptable by young people in Saudi Arabia. | ||||
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