The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) continues to have enormous implications on the health, economic and psychosocial well-being of individuals, family structures, and communities. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected by the HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this study is to investigate the social and cognitive factors associated with HIV test uptake in the general population of Kenya. Data from the 2009/2010 Kenya Demographic Health Survey were utilized. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using STATA/SE software. Results showed that there were statistically significant differences between men and women in previous HIV testing status and HIV test uptake. Over 90% of participants reported knowing a place to seek testing. The mean HIV related knowledge was higher in men than women (x =0.1; 95% CI 0.04-0.16) than women (x = 0.04; 95% CI [0.01- 0.1]). Differences were found in expressed HIV stigmatizing attitudes, with women reporting more stigmatizing attitudes than men. For example 9.9% of women compared to 4.7% of men reported very high HIV stigmatizing attitudes. Weighted multinomial regression analyses were conducted with individuals who had not been previously tested and unwilling to be tested utilized as the reference group. Among the factors found to be significantly associated with HIV uptake include: HIV related knowledge- higher levels of HIV related knowledge were associated with increased HIV test uptake for men and women, HIV related stigma- lower levels of HIV related stigma were significantly associated with HIV test uptake for women but not men, acceptance to teach condoms to children and knowledge of someone infected with HIV/AIDS was positively associated with HIV test uptake, gender- compared to men, women were significantly less likely to agree to be take the HIV/AIDS test if not previously tested (OR 0.79; 95% CI [0.64, 0.97]) but significantly more likely to accept the HIV/AIDS test when offered (OR 1.341; 95% CI [1.02, 1.76]). Other significant associations included: Age, education attainment, sex of head of household, and wanting to keep a family member's tuberculosis infection a secret.

The overall aim was to explore the experiences of sexual risk taking among Chlamydia Trachomatis positive (CT+), HIV positive (HIV+), and HIV tested young women and men. The specific aims were to explore, from a gender perspective, the course of events, the norms, considerations and emotions involved in sexual risk taking in CT+, explore the perception of sexual risk taking in HIV+ youth, and their understanding of why they caught HIV and look at how the Law of Communicable Diseases Act impacts their sexuality. Moreover, to investigate why young adults test for HIV, how they construct the HIV risk, and what implications testing has for them. 42 informants between 17-24 years of age were recruited from a youth clinic in Umeå and from three infection clinics for HIV patients in Sweden. In depth interviews and focus group interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed according to a Grounded Theory approach. The finding revealed that behind sexual risk taking, there was a drive to go steady, where lust and trust guided if sex would take place. In one-night stands women were expected to be less forward compared with men. We found an uneven responsibility concerning condom use where men expected women to be "condom promoters". By catching CT, women experienced guilt, while men felt content through knowing "the source of contamination". Among the HIV+ youth, socio-cultural factors such as; lack of adult supervision, naivité, love, alcohol, drugs, the macho ideal and cultures of silence blinded the informants to the risks and made them vulnerable. By grouping narratives according to degree of consensus in sexual encounters, this demonstrated that sexual risks happened in a context of gendered power relations where the informants had varied agency. The Law of Communicable Diseases Act implied both support and burden for these HIV+ youth. A lot of responsibility was put on them and to be able to handle the infromation duty they tried to switch off lust, switch off the disease, or balance lust and obedience. Among the HIV tested youth, HIV was seen a distant threat. Many had event-driven reasons for testing for HIV; multiple partners being one. Risk zones, like bars were perceived to be a milieu that often was expected to include one-night stands. Responsibility for testing was a gendered issue; "natural" for women, while men rather escaped from responsibility and had a testing resistance. Receiving a "green card" confirmed healthiness and provided relief, and made the informants felt "clean". They could restart with new ambitious, including reconsidering risk. The findings can be used in public health and in health care sectors that work with young people. We present suggestions on how to decrease the spread of STIs: To implement how men could play an equal part in sexual and reproductive health. Promote general CT screening for men. Liberal HIV testing among both young women and men. Promote safer sex behaviour from the uninfected youth, especially focusing on men??. Consider the role of gender and social background in the context of risky behaviours. Give lots of positive rewards concerning HIV disclosure to diminish the risk for HIV transmission.

Introduktion: HIV-infektion medför en kronisk och progressiv sjukdom som, i obehandlad form, leder till en successiv försämring av immunförsvaret och utvecklandet av AIDS. Syfte: Att vid två lärosäten undersöka sjuksköterskestudenters kunskaper om HIV och inställningen till behovet av HIV-testning. Metod: En empirisk tvärsnittsstudie med deskriptiv och komparativ design med kvantitativ ansats. Genomförd som enkätstudie bland studenter vid Högskolan i Gävle och Uppsala Universitet (N=95), som studerade på sjuksköterskeprogrammets tredje år. Resultat: Majoriteten (88,4 %) angav korrekt att samlag med fler än en partner ökar risken att smittas med HIV. Tre studenter (3,2 %) angav felaktigt att det finns ett vaccin mot HIV-infektion. Nästan hälften (42,1 %) saknade kunskap om att glidmedel, tillsammans med kondom, inte minskar risken för HIV-smitta. En majoritet (78,9 %) rekommenderade ett HIV-test till en kvinna som haft oskyddat sex med en man. I studenternas motiveringar till behovet av ett HIV-test, framkom fyra kategorier; ”risk”, ”sexualvanor”, ”patientens oro” och ”ovisshet”. Konklusion: Sjuksköterskestudenterna hade relativt goda kunskaper om HIV. Däremot fanns betydande brister i vissa frågor. Sjuksköterskestudenternas inställning till HIV-testning överensstämmer relativt väl med gällande riktlinjer. Däremot finns ett behov att förändra ett förlegat riskgruppstänkande för att kunna ge patienter rådgivning i enlighet med den senaste kunskapen. / Introduction: HIV-infection is a chronic and progressive disease that, left untreated, leads to a deterioration of the immune system and the development of AIDS.  Aim: To examine nursing students´, at two universities, knowledge about HIV and their attitude towards assessing the need for a HIV-test. Method: An empirical cross-sectional study using descriptive and comparative design with a quantitative approach. Data was collected by a questionnaire among third year nursing students at the University of Gavle and Uppsala University (N=95). Result: A majority (88,4 %) answered correctly that intercourse with more than one partner increases the risk for contracting HIV. Three students (3,2 %) answered incorrectly that there is a vaccine for HIV. Nearly half of the students did not know that lubricant, combined with a condom, does not reduce the risk for contracting HIV. A majority (78,9 %) recommended a HIV-test to a woman who have had unprotected sex with a man. In analyzing the students´ explanatory statements for the need for a HIV-test, four categories emerged; “risk”, “sexual behavior”, “patients´ concern” and “not knowing”.   Conclusion: The nursing students had relatively good knowledge about HIV. However, there was a significant lack of knowledge in some questions. The nursing students´ attitudes towards HIV-testing conforms relatively well with current guidelines. However, there is a need to change an outdated way of assessing the risk for HIV-infection to be able to provide counseling to patients based on current knowledge.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The identification of the association between socio-demographic characteristics and HIV was found to be a useful tool in determining the important risk factors in Sudan. In this study, the relationship(s) between HIV test results and the demographic characteristics such as gender, age, residence area, employment, education, marital status and religion in Omdurman, Sudan were investigated. The data were collected from patients visiting Omdurman National Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre from April 2005 to April 2006. The study sample was represented by 320 patients. Tables were used in the data analysis to present the distribution of the participants by the result of HIV test and demographic factors; odds ratios were also obtained from these tables. The Chi-square test was used to test the association between each socio-demographic factor and the result of HIV test; the Pvalue obtained from this test was measured at a significance level of 0.05. Finally, the joint effect of all demographic factors on HIV test results was tested using logistic regression. A significant association between socio-demographic characteristics and HIV test results was observed. It showed a higher incidence rate in females, middle-aged, married, employed and Christian individuals. HIV was also found to be higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The lower incident rate was observed among educated individuals.