Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Abstract:
There has been series of reports on panacea to HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and Nigeria in particular but no solution to HIV/ AIDS. The acquisition of knowledge and accessibility to information is essentially relevant to Voluntary Counselling and Testing in any developing country. Voluntary Counselling and Testing is increasingly important in global response to HIV/AIDS. The study focused on Nigeria youths on knowledge and information on HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing is seen as a panacea to the spread of HIV. The research, adopted a descriptive survey method and the instrument for the collection of data was a 19-item questionnaire. The sample comprised 357 youths that correctly filled and returned the questionnaire. Two research questions were raised and two research hypotheses were formulated and tested. Data collected were subjected to t-test statistical analysis. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The finding showed that there was a significant difference in the knowledge of HIV voluntary counselling and testing of HIV/AIDS by gender, age and religion. It was concluded that information and counselling will increase knowledge of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) in youths. Recommendation were made that counsellors should organize group counselling sessions and workshops on how to make youths to be aware of the importance of voluntary counselling and testing.

Keywords: voluntary counselling and testing HIV/AIDS, sexual behaviour, confidentiality, information, cultural factor, stigma

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