Abstract:

Nurses are at the front line of HIV/AIDS management, thus they have the danger of being occupationally exposed to blood borne pathogenic microbes through needle stick harm, body liquid sprinkles and so on over the span of their daily work.

Numerous studies have examined acceptance and uptake of HIV screening among health workers, yet few studies are specifically on nurses' acceptance and uptake of HIV testing and counselling. This study is aimed at examining nurses’ level of acceptance and uptake of HIV testing and counselling in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun state, Nigeria.

The study is a descriptive design which was used to examine the acceptance and uptake of voluntary HIV testing and counselling among nurses in the institution. The target population were nurses at different areas of practice in the institution. One hundred copies of a structured questionnaire were administered to participants from the target group through accidental sampling technique, they were completed, collected, processed, analysed and interpreted.

Result shows that majority of the nurses in the institution had high level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. 95% of the respondents were aware of HIV testing and counselling facilities around them and majority (94%) accepted and made themselves available for the test. 51%, a little above half of the 94%, have routine HIV test. Academic qualification was found to be a significant factor in the uptake of the test

Keywords: Acceptance, Uptake, Voluntary HIV testing, Counselling, Nurses, Confidential

References:

[1]. Aniebue P. N. and Aniebue U. U. (2011) “Voluntary counselling and willingness to screen among Nigerian long distance truck drivers.” Niger Med J [serial online] 2011 [cited 2012 Nov 15]; 52:49-54. Available from: http://www.nigeriamedj.com/text.asp?2011/52/1/49/80085

[2]. International Nurses’ Forum, (2006) Nurses at the forefront of HIV/AIDS Ottawa. Canada.

[3]. LI Zungu & BA Sanni (2011) Acceptance and uptake of voluntary HIV testing among healthcare workers in a South African public hospital, South African Family Practice, FMH, 2007.

[4]. National HIV/AIDS and reproductive health survey, 2005. Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria, Abuja,

[5]. Muoghalu C. O., Jegede S. A., (2013). “Perception of HIV/AIDS among the Igbo of Anambra State, Nigeria” Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS. Vol. 10, No. 1 March, 2013.

[6]. UNAIDS (2007) Global summary of the AID epidemic. Retrieved on 25th Oct. 2016 from http://data.unaids.org/pub/EPISlides/2007/2007_epiupdate_en.pdf

[7]. UNAIDS, 2008. Report on the global AIDS epidemic. Geneva, Switzerland.

[8]. WHO (2016) HIV Testing and counselling: the gateway to treatment, care and support. Geneva, Switzerland.