Abstract:

This is a study on attitude of adults towards HIV screening. The study was carried out in Isuada community Owo, Ondo State Nigeria. The deadly nature of this disease and late presentation of clients to the hospital despite the advocacy and awareness created through the media prompted the researcher to carry out this research. The main objective of this study is to examine the knowledge of people in Isuada community about HIV Screening, to investigate possible barrier to accepting HIV screening and correct negative notion about this investigation. Data was obtained through a structured questionnaire schedule. Same was administered to adult respondents in Isuada community in Owo Local Government Area using multi-staged random sampling. Multi-staged random sampling involved selection of the sample or sampling plans where the sampling is carried out in stages using smaller and smaller sampling units at each stage from the community, wards, streets, house hold in the selected community. Sample size is 100. Data were analysed by the use of statistical tools and same presented in tables and charts, while chi- square and correlation coefficient were used to test hypothesis. The findings of study shows that 94% of the respondents are aware of this deadly disease, 85% are aware of the screening being carried out to diagnose it, but only 37% of the respondents have been screened before. Among those that have not been screened female had the highest percentage 55.6%, which shows that there is poor utilization of government hospitals by these women. Majority of those that are yet to be screen said they have not heard about HIV Screening before 23.82% and some does not see any need for it 22.22% (Table 4.12). The summary of my other findings and recommendation were made below.

References:

[1]. Barbacci MB, Dalabetta GA, Repke JT, et al. Human immunodeficiency virus infection in women attending an inner-city prenatal clinic: ineffectiveness of targeted screening. 1990;17(3):122-6.

[2]. Boon H, Ruiter RAC, James S, Van Den Borne B, Williams E, Reddy P. The impact of a community-based pilot health education intervention for older people as caregivers of orphaned and sick children as a result of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. J Cross Cult Gerontol. 2009;24(4):373–89.

[3]. Connor EM, Sperling RS, Gelber R, et al. Reduction of maternal-infant transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 with zidovudine treatment. Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 076 Study Group. N Engl J Med1994;331(18):1173-80.

[4]. Ellerbrock TV, Lieb S, Harrington PE, et al. Heterosexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus infection among pregnant women in a rural Florida community. N Engl J Med 1992;327(24):1704-9.4.

[5]. Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria (2006). The 2005 National HIV Sero-prevalence Sentinel Survey among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Nigeria.

[6]. Joel Negin et al. HIV Attitudes, Awareness and Testing Among Older Adults in Africa. AIDS Behav.2012; 16(1):63-68.

[7]. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS):AIDS Epidemic update: December 2007

[8]. Postma MJ, Beck EJ, Hankins CA, et al. Cost-effectiveness of expanded antenatal HIV testing in London. AIDS 2000;14(15):2383-9.

[9]. Kipp WE, Alibhai A, Saunders D, Konde-Lule J, Ruhunda A. Public knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy in Kabarole district, western Uganda. AIDS Care. 2009;21(1):118–24.

[10]. Landesman S, Minkoff H, Holman S, McCalla S, Sijin O. Serosurvey of human immunodeficiency virus infection in parturients. Implications for human immunodeficiency virus testing programs of pregnant women. JAMA 1987;258(19):2701-3.

[11]. Lindsay MK, Peterson HB, Feng TI, Slade BA, Willis S, Klein L. Routine antepartum human immunodeficiency virus infection screening in an inner-city population. Obstet Gynecol 1989;74(3 Pt 1):289-94.

[12]. Negin J, Cumming RG. HIV infection in older adults in subSaharan Africa: extrapolating prevalence from existing data. Bull World Health Organ. 2010;88:847–53.

[13]. Revised recommendations for HIV screening of pregnant women. MMWR Recomm Rep 2001;50(RR-19):63-85; quiz CE1-19a2-CE6-19a2.

[14]. Savasta AM. HIV: associated transmission risks in older adults— an integrative review of the literature. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care.2004;15(1):50–9.

[15]. United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF). State of world children 2009 New York, UNICEF, 2008 (http://www.unicef.org/sowc09/index.php, accessed 18th October, 2009).

[16]. Workshop on HIV/AIDS and adult mortality in developing countries, Population Division Department of Economic and Social Affairs United Nations Secretariat New York, 8-13 Sept 2003