Title
Prevalence and Correlates of HIV Testing among Young People Enrolled in Non-Formal Education Centers in Urban Chiang Mai, Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study
Date Issued
01 April 2016
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Musumari P.
Tangmunkongvorakul A.
Srithanaviboonchai K.
Yungyuankul S.
Techasrivichien T.
Ono-Kihara M.
Kihara M.
Chariyalertsak S.
Kyoto University School of Public Health
Publisher(s)
Public Library of Science
Abstract
Background HIV testing is the gateway to HIV prevention, treatment, and care. Despite the established vulnerability of young Thai people to HIV infection, studies examining the prevalence and correlates of HIV testing among the general population of Thai youth are still very limited. This study investigates socio-demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors associated with HIV testing among young Thai people enrolled in Non-formal Education Centers (NFEC) in urban Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Methods This was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted among young unmarried Thai youth-between the ages of 15 and 24-who were enrolled in NFEC in urban Chiang Mai. Multiple logistic regressions were used to identify correlates of "ever tested for HIV" among the sexually active participants. Findings Of the 295 sexually active participants, 27.3% reported "ever tested for HIV;" 65.4% "did not consistently use condom;" and 61.7%"had at least 2 lifetime partners." We found that "selfefficacy" (AOR, 4.92; CI, 1.22'19.73); "perception that it is easy to find a location nearby to test for HIV" (AOR, 4.67; CI, 1.21'18.06); "having at least 2 lifetime sexual partners" (AOR, 2.05; CI, 1.09'3.85); and "ever been pregnant or made someone pregnant" (AOR, 4.06; CI, 2.69'9.15); were associated with increased odds of having ever been tested. On the other hand, "fear of HIV test results" (AOR, 0.21; CI, 0.08'0.57) was associated with lower odds of ever having been tested for HIV. Conclusion The main finding is that a substantially high proportion of Thai youth is engaged in risky sexual behaviors-yet reports low rates of ever having been tested for HIV. This highlights an urgent need to develop appropriate interventions-based on the identified correlates of HIV testing. There is also an urgent need to enhance HIV testing and to promote safer sexual behaviors among young Thai people-particularly those who are out-of-school.
Volume
11
Issue
4
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Epidemiología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84963613039
PubMed ID
Source
PLoS ONE
Source funding
Office of the Higher Education Commission
Sponsor(s)
This study was part of the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program among out-of-school young people in Chiang Mai. It was supported by the Chiang Mai University Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS Research, and by the National Research University Project under Thailand's Office of the Higher Education Commission. We thank the young people in urban Chiang Mai who contributed to this research. We also thank the University of Kyoto’s “Strategic Young Researcher Overseas Visit Program for Accelerating Brain Circulation Program” for supporting the collaboration between Kyoto University in Japan and the Research Institute for Health Sciences (RIHES), Chiang Mai University, in Thailand.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus