"I Just Tested So That I Know My Health Status": HIV Testing Motivations and Decision-Making Among Adolescents in Tanzania.

Abstract

Tanzanian adolescents are vulnerable to HIV and national policy supports HIV testing services (HTS), yet HTS is underutilized by adolescents. This qualitative study explores factors that influence the attitudes and decision-making of Tanzanian adolescents regarding HTS uptake. The VITAA clinical trial tested a school-clinic partnership that offered health check-ups for Tanzanian adolescents with optional HTS. Semistructured interviews (n = 35) were conducted with adolescents (mean age 16) from the VITAA cohort. Thematic qualitative analysis was informed by the Health Belief Model. Most adolescents reported having experienced HTS and the majority of those who tested received HTS at a preventative health care visit. Reasons for testing included wanting to know their health status. Motivations to test outside of routine health care included perceived behavioral risk of infection or close exposure to someone living with HIV. The main reason for not testing was low perceived risk. Many adolescents would test if their risk changed.