A case-control study was conducted from November 2003 to January 2004 to investigate the association of socio-demographic variables with VCT use and to assess determinants of VCT service utilization using both Quantitative and Qualitative methods of data collections.
A total of 636 individuals (212 cases and 424 controls), who came to health institutions that deliver VCT services in Guraghe Zone, were enrolled in the study. Twelve (5.7%) of cases and 82 (19.3%) of controls (non-VCT users), 94 (14.8%) of the total study subjects had not have heard of VCT in general. The main reason for VCT utilization among cases was pre-marital 160 (75.5%) and the main reasons for non-use among controls were partner-and self-trust (23.1%), no information about it (17.8%), other social reasons (13.7%) and lack of nearby services (13.0%).
The majority (82.8%) of cases were in the age groups of 15-19 and 20-29 years. Study participants were 54.7% males, 78.3% rural by residence, 54.7% followers of orthodox religion, 80.7% Guraghe by ethnicity, 37.3% farmers by occupation, the majority (67%) had educational status of elementary and below and 80.7% were unmarried.
Religion, Muslim & other Christianity, secondary and above educational status, other occupational status, singleness and non-polygamous union showed statistically significant positive associations with VCT utilization. Attitudes related to stigma and discrimination showed statistically significant positive associations with cases but there was no statistically significant difference regarding knowledge and practice between cases and controls.
Confidential testing, Physicians as counselors, and face-to-face way of receiving HIV VCT test result were the preferred VCT schemes by most respondents and FGD participants.
Most health institutions do not have referral system for social support, targeted VCT, follow up training and supervision, referral for indeterminate HIV VCT test results.
Maximizing pre-marital VCT with proper information dissemination targeting the rural community, involving all possible stakeholders and using local resources, follow-up training and supervision and setting up referral systems are recommended.