Knowledge of Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) Status and Preferred Testing Approach among Men in Bono Region, Ghana

Background: Countries are making progress towards the global goal of 90% of people with HIV knowing their status by 2020 and 95% by 2030. In 2019 about 19% of all those living with HIV worldwide were undiagnosed. The study sought to assess the knowledge of HIV status and preferred testing approach among men in the Bono Region, Ghana.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving 403 men aged 18 years and above who were accessing HIV counselling and testing services in seven major health facilities in the Bono region was employed. The data were analysed by using SPSS version 25.0 software with both descriptive and inferential analysis. Data were presented using frequencies, tables and charts. Statistical significance for all testing was set as 0.05.

Results: The results revealed that most of the respondents were below 30 years with mean age of 42.5 and standard deviation of 6.8. The prevalence rate of men who knew their HIV status in the Bono region was 55.6% and the preferred HIV testing approach was self-testing (61.3%). The reasons for the preferred approach was privacy (41%) and the predictor of HIV status was awareness (source of knowledge was significant; OR= 0.67 (95%CI=0.32,1.4); p-value=0.003. The location of the testing facility was statistically significant with OR= 1.66(95%CI=0.94,2.93); p-value=0.002 as well as marital status and occupation of the respondents were also statistically significant with OR=4.86 (95%CI=1.8-79); p-value=0.000 respectively.

Conclusion: The study concludes that if men are exposed to the facts about HIV testing services, the misconception about the disease will be reduced and more men will be involved in the HIV testing services. The study recommends that Policies, interventions and measures on testing should be integrated in a common health problem that brings men to hospitals just as done in women. Management of the health facilities should continue with the education on HIV testing services especially among men who are yet to undertake such services to prevent fear and anxiety. Further study is required to guide a differentiated approach to programmatic interventions. Encourage a similar survey in different region to confirm or disconfirm the findings of this study.