Attitudes towards HIV-antibody testing among university students in four African countries

The aims of this study were to examine attitudes towards HIV testing, sexual behaviour, HIV risk perception and HIV testing behaviours among university students in four African countries. The participants consisted of 760 first-year African black university students (351 male, and 409 female) from four African countries (Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe), in the age range of 17 to 44 years (M = 23.6, SD = 4.3). Results showed that 17.3% of the students indicated that they had already been tested for HIV, and of those who went for the HIV test 16.2% did not get the results of the last test. The HIV Testing Attitude Score indicating a positive attitude towards HIV testing was associated with having had an HIV test, the intention to go for an HIV test, self-rated HIV knowledge, the number of sex partners in the past 12 months, and personally knowing someone with HIV or AIDS. Having had an HIV test and the intention to go for an HIV test were associated with three HIV testing attitudes subscales: 'General concerns', 'Trust and support', and 'fears'. The 'Confidentiality' and 'Friends concerns' subscales were also weakly associated with the intention to go for an HIV test. © 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.