scholarly journals Increasing HIV testing uptake in an inner city sexual and reproductive health clinic: a simple and effective method

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 314.2-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanchana Seneviratne ◽  
Charlotte Porter ◽  
Ruth Taylor
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Déom ◽  
L Ben Abdelhafidh ◽  
N Annez ◽  
C Glorie ◽  
M Roland

Abstract Early pregnancies are often linked to precarious situations. Even if Belgium has seen a decrease in teenage pregnancies, in the former mining region of the Hainaut there are still twice as many births to young women under 20 compared to the national rate. Colfontaine is one of the poorest cities in Belgium. Last year, one of the local high schools counted 10 pregnant teenagers out of 450 students. Médecins du Monde was already present in the city at the time with a mobile health clinic called the Médibus. In response, we carried out a mapping of the local sexual and reproductive health actors. The lack of accessibility to social and health structures capable of welcoming teenagers anonymously and free of charge quickly emerged as a problem, the nearest family planning center being located 30 minutes away by bus. In September 2019, in partnership with 5 local health actors, we decided to reshape the Médibus into the Adobus in order to offer family planning consultations, health promotion and harm reduction activities at the high school once a week. In addition to offering health information services, we also aim to detect teenagers experiencing vulnerable situations such as addiction, violence, gender issues and refer them to appropriate services. Halfway through the project, we met 430 teenagers in 14 afternoons. The most common reasons for consultation (N = 310) were questions related to contraception for 29% and to sexually transmitted infections for 24,5%. 70,9% of teenagers received condoms and 13 girls were tested for pregnancy. One girl received a morning-after pill. 3 teenagers with addiction problems and 17 victims of violence were detected. The teams referred 18 teenagers to other services. The success of this outreach project confirms the need for information regarding sexual and reproductive health for teenagers living in precarious situations as well as the need to develop reachable and affordable sexual and reproductive health services in semi-rural areas. Key messages Outreach is an efficient approach to respond to teenagers’ needs in poor semi-rural areas. Outreach facilitated the detection of early pregnancies, addiction and violence issues among teenagers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miaba Louise Lompo ◽  
Jean-Louis Bago

Sexual and reproductive health remains one of the greatest challenges in developing countries. In Uganda, adolescents are the most vulnerable group of the population as far as HIV epidemic is concerned. Mass media awareness campaigns play a key role in promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescents. Using Uganda’s 2016 Demographic Health Survey, we examine the causal effect of mass media exposure on the probability of adolescents getting an HIV test and their HIV-related knowledge. Our results suggest that the exposure to mass media increases both adolescents’ likelihood to get tested for HIV and their HIV-related knowledge score. In fact, we find that reading newspapers once a week increases the likelihood of an adolescent to test for HIV by 6.29 percentage points. Listening to radio once a week increases the probability to test for HIV by 4.57 percentage points. This effect increases to 6.56 percentage points when the adolescent listens to the radio more than once a week. Watching TV more than once a week increases adolescents’ probability to get tested for HIV by 8.57 percentage points. For HIV-related knowledge, we find that compared to adolescents who do not read newspapers at all, adolescents who read newspapers less than once a week and those who read newspapers at least once a week have a higher score of HIV-related knowledge of 9.12% and 9.64% respectively. Compared to adolescents who do not listen to radio at all, adolescents who listen to radio less than once a week have a higher (5.88%) score of HIV related knowledge. Moreover, listening to radio at least once a week increases the score of HIV-related knowledge by 5.52%. Hence, mass media awareness campaigns are important policies to promote HIV testing and HIV-related knowledge among adolescents in Uganda. 


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Louis Bago ◽  
Miaba Louise Lompo

Sexual and reproductive health remains one of the greatest challenges in developing countries. In Uganda, adolescents are the most vulnerable group as far as HIV epidemic is concerned. Mass media awareness campaigns play a key role in promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescents. Using Uganda’s 2016 Demographic Health Survey, we examine the causal effect of mass media exposure on the probability of adolescents getting an HIV test and their HIV-related knowledge. Our results suggest that the exposure to mass media increases both adolescents’ likelihood to get tested for HIV and their HIV-related knowledge score. In fact, we find that reading newspapers once a week increases the likelihood of an adolescent to test for HIV by 6.29 percentage points. Listening to radio once a week increases the probability to test for HIV by 4.57 percentage points. This effect increases to 6.56 percentage points when the adolescent listens to the radio more than once a week. Watching TV more than once a week increases adolescents’ probability to get tested for HIV by 8.57 percentage points. For HIV-related knowledge, we find that compared to adolescents who do not read newspapers at all, adolescents who read newspapers less than once a week and those who read newspapers at least once a week have a higher score of HIV-related knowledge of 9.12% and 9.64% respectively. Compared to adolescents who do not listen to radio at all, adolescents who listen to radio less than once a week have a higher (5.88%) score of HIV related knowledge. Moreover, listening to radio at least once a week increases the score of HIV-related knowledge by 5.52%. Hence, mass media awareness campaigns are important policies to promote HIV testing and HIV-related knowledge among adolescents in Uganda.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Monica Magadi ◽  
Dan Kaseje ◽  
Charles Wafula ◽  
Margaret Kaseje ◽  
Pennina Ochola-Odhiambo ◽  
...  

Abstract This paper reports findings of a pilot survey of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) knowledge and behaviour in Homabay County of western Kenya. The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of 523 male and female adolescents aged 10–19 years from 32 Community Health Units (CHUs). Bivariate analysis of gender differences and associations between ASRH knowledge and behaviour was followed with two-level logistic regression analysis of predictors of ASRH behaviour (sexual activity, unprotected sex, HIV testing), taking individual adolescents as level-1 and CHUs as level-2. The findings reveal important gender differences in ASRH knowledge and behaviour. While male adolescents reported higher sexual activity (ever had sex, unprotected last sex), female adolescents reported higher HIV testing. Despite having lower HIV/AIDS knowledge, female adolescents were more likely to translate their SRH knowledge into appropriate behaviour. Education emerged as an important predictor of ASRH behaviour. Out-of-school adolescents had significantly higher odds of having ever had sex (aOR=3.3) or unprotected last sex (aOR=3.2) than their in-school counterparts of the same age, gender and ASRH knowledge, while those with at least secondary education had lower odds of unprotected sex (aOR=0.52) and higher odds of HIV testing (aOR=5.49) than their counterparts of the same age, gender and SRH knowledge who had primary education or lower. However, being out of school was associated with higher HIV testing (aOR=2.3); and there was no evidence of significant differences between younger (aged 10–14) and older (aged 15–19) adolescents in SRH knowledge and behaviour. Besides individual-level predictors, there were significant community variations in ASRH knowledge and behaviour, with relatively more-deprived CHUs being associated with poorer indicators. The overall findings have important policy/programme implications. There is a need for a comprehensive approach that engages schools, health providers, peers, parents/adults and the wider community in developing age-appropriate ASRH interventions for both in-school and out-of-school adolescents in western Kenya.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Renata dos Santos Barros ◽  
Eliana Miura Zucchi ◽  
Lilia Blima Schraiber ◽  
Ivan França Junior

ABSTRACT: Background: Knowing the reasons for seeking HIV testing is central for HIV prevention. Despite the availability of free HIV counseling and testing in Brazil, coverage remains lacking. Methods: Survey of 4,760 respondents from urban areas was analyzed. Individual-level variables included sociodemographic characteristics; sexual and reproductive health; HIV/AIDS treatment knowledge and beliefs; being personally acquainted with a person with HIV/AIDS; and holding discriminatory ideas about people living with HIV. Contextual-level variables included the Human Development Index (HDI) of the municipality; prevalence of HIV/AIDS; and availability of local HIV counseling and testing (CT) services. The dependent variable was client-initiated testing. Multilevel Poisson regression models with random intercepts were used to assess associated factors. Results: Common individual-level variables among men and women included being personally acquainted with a person with HIV/AIDS and age; whereas discordant variables included those related to sexual and reproductive health and experiencing sexual violence. Among contextual-level factors, availability of CT services was variable associated with client-initiated testing among women only. The contextual-level variable “HDI of the municipality” was associated with client-initiated testing among women. Conclusion: Thus, marked gender differences in HIV testing were found, with a lack of HIV testing among married women and heterosexual men, groups that do not spontaneously seek testing.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Apondi ◽  
Salim Bakari ◽  
Brian Kwendo ◽  
Jones Ingari ◽  
Carole McAteer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background:Adolescents and young adults in sub-Saharan Africa face complex challenges in accessing HIV testing, HIV care, and sexual and reproductive health services. We describe and characterize the uptake of a unique mHealth intervention that was designed, led, and implemented by youth peer mentors (YPM) in the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) in western Kenya.Methods: YPM developed a mobile application to address the unmet needs that they identified in youth education around HIV testing, HIV care, and sexual and reproductive health. The application incorporates comprehensive educational materials and information about health services in Kenya. Users can set up reminders for clinic appointments and may call, text, or email a YPM for assistance accessing care or to ask care-related questions. The application has been promoted at AMPATH clinics and on social media. We describe its implementation in this setting.Results: Since launching the application in December 2017, as of April 2019 the application was downloaded 5,800 times, with 4,953 current users. Downloads primarily originated in Kenya (74%) and other African countries, but also globally. Texts to YPM through the application included questions about a broad range of topics on HIV testing, prevention, and care; reproductive and sexual health; substance abuse and addiction; and navigating health care. YPM contacted through the app provided individualized counseling and referred 183 users to health services. YPM utilize the application in large- and small-group and individual peer education sessions, and in trainings for healthcare workers, teachers and new YPM.Conclusions: Adolescents and young adults should be empowered to lead interventions to address the challenges that they face in navigating care. A unique mobile application intervention spearheaded by YPM providing access to comprehensive health education and individualized counseling and referral has great potential to facilitate HIV and sexual and reproductive health care for young people.


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