| dc.description.abstract | Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is a
component of national response to HIV and AIDS
prevention. It marks the entry point for early
treatment; as well as providing information for
behavior change and stigma management. Studies
reveal a dearth of information on teachers’ response
to VCT services in Kenya. This study was conducted
to determine perceptions on uptake of VCT services,
with a view to informing policy deliberations. We
applied a cross-sectional survey design to source data
from 600 teachers. The analysis generated crosstabulations with Chi-square statistic, beta coefficients (β) and odds ratios (OR). The study found
that only 157 (26.2%) participants had voluntarily
taken HIV test. Teachers perceiving themselves to be
‘very susceptible’ to HIV infection had about 2.3
times the odds of utilizing VCT services as those
believing that they were ‘not susceptible’ [ρ-value =
0.047, OR = 2.255, C.I. = 1.411-3.602]. Teachers
perceiving that voluntary testing was ‘very useful’ in
HIV prevention were about 1.7 times as likely to
utilize VCT services as those believing that voluntary
testing was ‘not useful’ (ρ-value = 0.013, OR =
1.737, C.I. = 1.323 -2.281). Teachers knowing at least
one VCT facility had about 3.3 times the odds of
taking VCT services as those not knowing any facility
(ρ-value = 0.002, OR = 3.320, C.I. = 1.668-6.607). In
conclusion, scaling-up information dissemination is
likely to improve knowledge and service uptake. The
study calls for more media campaigns through radio;
mobile VCT outlets and integration of VCT facilities
in schools. | en_US |
