title: HIV voluntary counselling and testing among recently initiated and traditionally circumcised men in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
abstract: HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) is a cornerstone of the national strategic plan for HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support in South Africa. However, research shows that the utilisation of VCT services is disappointingly low, particular among males. This article focuses on the factors associated with the intention to test for HIV-infection among recently initiated and traditionally circumcised men in the rural areas of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted among 1656 sexually active men. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between intention to test for HIV and psychosocial factors. Overall, 35.1% of the participants reported ever having tested for HIV. Intention to test for HIV was positively associated with perceived probability of getting an STI, positive attitudes towards gender-based violence, received general teachings about being a responsible man and highest grade passed. These findings provide specific information that can be used in the development of a focused cultural sensitive STI/HIV prevention programme aimed to increase VCT uptake among sexually active young men, which can be integrated into initiation and health education practices.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Research and Development Unit, Medical Research Council of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa. anam.nyembezi@mrc.ac.za
authors.forename: Anam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nyembezi
authors.forename: Robert A C
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ruiter
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van den Borne
authors.forename: Sibusiso
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sifunda
authors.forename: Itumeleng
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Funani
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D002944:Circumcision, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013019:South Africa; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult