Low awareness and use of post-exposure prophylaxis among adolescents and young adults in South Africa: implications for the prevention of new HIV infections
| Autor: | Ntombana Rala, Oladele Vincent Adeniyi, Daniel Ter Goon, Elmon Mudefi, Mohammed Sanusi Yusuf, Anthony Idowu Ajayi |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice Adolescent Universities medicine.medical_treatment education Vulnerability Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) HIV Infections medicine.disease_cause South Africa Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Virology Environmental health medicine Humans 030212 general & internal medicine Post-exposure prophylaxis Young adult Students 030505 public health Sexual violence business.industry Sex Offenses Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health General Medicine Infectious Diseases Sexual abuse Female Post-Exposure Prophylaxis 0305 other medical science business |
| Zdroj: | African Journal of AIDS Research. 19:242-248 |
| ISSN: | 1727-9445 1608-5906 |
| Popis: | The vulnerability of adolescents and young adults in South Africa to HIV and sexual violence is well documented. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is available for victims of sexual abuse in the country but awareness of this measure is required to maximise its HIV-prevention benefits. This study examined levels of PEP awareness and its correlates and the uptake of PEP among 772 students (16-24 years) in a South African university using stratified random sampling. Overall, we included more females (477) than males (295), reflecting the male-female ratio at the university. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models were used to determine correlates of PEP awareness, which was low (24.1%), particularly among those who experienced sexual violence in the past year (19.8%) compared those who had not (24.8%). Only 2.6% of participants had used PEP, while 7.5% had seen it, and 14.6% knew where to get it. In the adjusted model, adequate family support (AOR: 2.22; CI: 1.54-3.20) and prior HIV testing (AOR: 2.65; CI: 1.59-4.42) were associated with a higher likelihood of PEP awareness. The study concluded that awareness of PEP was low in the study setting and especially among those who need it. Social marketing of PEP is needed in the study settings to realise the maximum benefits of PEP in preventing new HIV infections. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|