HIV Testing Attitudes and Behaviours

Youth account for just under half of all new HIV infections globally and the majority of youth living with HIV are unaware of their status. Despite substantial scale up of HIV testing services, HIV testing rates among youth continue to be low. This work investigates different aspects of HIV testing among adolescents and young adults in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. Using data from population based surveys such as the National Survey of Adolescents, Demographic and Health Surveys and the AIDS Indicator Survey, I explore the factors which help to explain HIV testing attitudes and behaviours such as willingness to be tested, reasons for not wanting to be tested, self-reported HIV testing and the public-private divide in HIV testing in two Caribbean Countries. The findings shed light on areas where HIV testing programmes can be strengthened in the regions most affected by HIV and policy implications and areas for future research are discussed.