Knowledge About HIV/AIDS, Risk Reduction Behaviors and Readiness to Undergo Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT): Focus on Public and Private College Students in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

HIV and its effect, the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), are rampant worldwide problems with broad social, cultural, economical implications. Never in history has there arisen such a widespread and fundamental threat to human development as HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS 2004). It is universally acknowledged that AIDS is unique in its rapid spread, its extent and the depth of its impact. With the intention of assessing the Ethiopian experience, the present study attempted to examine the relationship of public and private college students’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS, risk reduction behaviors and readiness to undergo Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for HIV. To attain at this objective, 384 (237 public 147 private) college students from Arsi Zone of the Oromia regional state, were randomly selected and involved in this study. Pilot-tested self-rating questionnaire was used to gather the required information for the study. For data analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistics like simple and multiplier regressions and t test were employed. Analysis of the data revealed that knowledge about HIV/AIDS and risk reduction behaviors show some relationship but knowledge about HIV/AIDS did not predict the participants’ readiness to access VCT services. On the other hand, related knowledge about HIV/ AIDS together with risk reduction behavior was found to contribute for the participants’ readiness to access VCT. Furthermore, the present study revealed that male and female participants did not show significant difference in HIV/AIDS related knowledge and readiness to undergo VCT. In risk reduction behaviors, however, female participants were found to be less effective than their male counterparts.