A Qualitative Study of HIV Testing Experiences and HIV Self-Testing Perspectives among Men in Northern Nigeria.

Autor: Iliyasu Z; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Haladu ZA; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Iliyasu BZ; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Kwaku AA; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Nass NS; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Amole TG; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Abdullahi HM; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Abdullahi AU; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Tsiga-Ahmed FI; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Abdullahi A; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria., Bashir HA; VBRCH Training Program, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria., Salihu HM; Kano Independent Research Centre Trust, Kano, Nigeria., Aliyu MH; Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Nursing research and practice [Nurs Res Pract] 2024 Apr 20; Vol. 2024, pp. 8810141. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 20 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI: 10.1155/2024/8810141
Abstrakt: HIV self-testing (HIVST) holds promise for accessing hard-to-reach populations by overcoming sociocultural and structural barriers to awareness of HIV status. This phenomenological qualitative study explored the experiences and perspectives of married men in Kano, northern Nigeria, regarding HIV testing and counseling (HTC) and HIVST. Twenty married men from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds participated in in-depth interviews conducted in the local language. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data, yielding key themes related to prior test experiences, knowledge of self-testing, and perceived ease of use, in addition to motivation for self-testing and concerns about reliability and counseling support. The findings shed light on the impact of facility-based HIV testing experiences on the perspectives of participants. Concerns related to delays, overcrowding, discomfort, fear, and unsupportive attitudes from healthcare providers influenced their perceptions. Among persons with previous self-testing experience, initial uneasiness was overcome with repeated use, highlighting the ease of use associated with HIVST. Motivations for self-testing included privacy, convenience, personal empowerment, improved infection detection, and efficiency. Concerns were raised regarding the reliability of self-testing results compared to hospital-based testing, and the absence of counseling support during self-testing. Our findings underscore the need to address infrastructural limitations, enhance counseling support, and promote awareness and knowledge of HIVST.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Zubairu Iliyasu et al.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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