title: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of voluntary HIV counselling and testing among rural migrants in central China: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document knowledge, attitudes and practices of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) among rural migrants in central China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study with face-to-face anonymous questionnaire interviews was conducted using a structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 1280 participants, 87.9% reported having had sexual intercourse during their lifetime, with 69% of singles reporting having had sexual intercourse and 49.1% having had sex in the past month. Only 21% always used condoms, 84.4% knew HIV infection was diagnosed through blood testing, 56.6% had heard of VCT, but only 3.8% perceived their own risk for HIV infection. Only 43 (2.3%) had ever been tested for HIV, and none had ever been tested at a VCT site. About two-thirds (64.5%) would be willing to use VCT services upon awareness of HIV risk. A logistic regression model showed that females, those having little knowledge of HIV/AIDS, those unwilling to work with HIV-infected individuals, never having been tested for HIV and having low awareness regarding HIV risk were less willing to use VCT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicated that much greater efforts are needed to improve HIV/AIDS and VCT knowledge, to promote safer sex and to improve VCT acceptance among rural migrants in central China, particularly those engaging in risky behaviours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. nhe@shmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Tiejun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jinling
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Meiyang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Detels
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D035141:Voluntary Programs; D055815:Young Adult