Provider-initiated (Opt-out) HIV testing and counselling in a group of university students in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Objectives The Provider Initiated HIV (Opt-out) Testing and Counselling model has rarely been tested in Nigeria. This study assessed its feasibility and uptake among a sample of Nigerian university undergraduate students.

Methods Two hundred and fifty-two Nigerian university students were offered rapid ‘opt-out’ HIV tests. The participants were also interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results Two hundred and fifty-one (99.6%) students accepted to be tested and only one (0.4%) refused testing. The commonest reason given for accepting rapid ‘opt-out’ testing was the desire to find out HIV status (93.2%). Only 24 (9.5%) students had previously ever been tested for HIV; among the 228 (90.5%) respondents who had not, the commonest reasons given for not testing were lack of knowledge of where to go to (25%), fear of testing positive (24%), and perception of being unlikely to have been exposed to HIV (18%).

Conclusion HIV ‘opt-out’ testing holds the prospect for rapidly increasing the coverage of HIV testing and other preventive interventions among university students in Nigeria. However, waiting time before testing and the poor disposition of medical staff to add on the burden of HIV ‘opt-out’ tests remain potential barriers to its roll-out.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• Opt-out testing
• Acceptance
• University Students
• Nigeria

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We acknowledge the funding support from the HIV Research and Policy Institute of the Chicago State University, Chicago, USA. We also acknowledge the assistance of the staff of the University Health Centre, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria while the field work lasted. We thank all the students who partook in the study.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and the writing of the paper.