title: Perception of high school students on risk for acquiring HIV and utilization of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) service for HIV in Debre-berhan Town, Ethiopia: a quantitative cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic among youth is largely ignored and remains invisible to both young people themselves and to the society as a whole. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess the extent of perception risk of HIV and utilization of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) service among high school students at Debre-berhan Town, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2010 up to January 2011 among secondary school students at Debre-berhan Town. Perception risk and VCT use were considered as dependant variables. A stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants by taking schools as strata. Semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 339 students were consented to participate in the study and the response rate was 96.3%. The student ages' were ranged from 15 up to 24 years. Among the study participants, 30 (8.8%) had sexual contact and the mean age of first sexual encounter was 16.4 (SD =2.05) years. Of sexually active students, 12 (40%) had sex with different persons within the last 6 months, 13 (43.3%) had ever used condom and 15 (50%) had used VCT service. There was no statistically significant association between risk perception towards HIV infection and ever use of VCT service (AOR (95% CI) = 1.0(0.30, 4.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some students were engaged in risky sexual behavior even though they had heard about HIV/AIDS. The perception of risk for acquisition of HIV infection and utilization of VCT were low. Thus, education on topic of HIV/AIDS through integrating as part of school curriculum and encouraging the existing health institutions to provide youth-friendly sexual counseling services including VCT for HIV are strongly recommended.
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sisay
authors.forename: Woldaregay
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Erku
authors.forename: Girmay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Medhin
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, P,O, Box 16417, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. desalegn01@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Desalegn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Woldeyohannes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D035141:Voluntary Programs; D055815:Young Adult
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