Access to HIV testing among older men in Uganda

Abstract

Background: There is low uptake of HIV testing among older men in Uganda. The aim of this study was to investigate the demographic and socio-economic factors that influence HIV testing among older men in Uganda. Methods: This study used secondary data from the Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey (UAIS 2011). The analysis was done on 870 men aged 50-59 in the individual recode. Frequency distributions, chi-square tests as well as binary logistic regression were done to determine the factors that influence HIV testing among older men in Uganda. Results: Majority (about 88%) of the older men were married while almost 61% of these men had acquired primary education. The largest percentage of older men was in the poor income group. Many (89%) older men had knowledge and awareness about HIV. About 44% of the older men reported that they feared to test for HIV because of fear of stigma associated with positive results. The odds of testing for HIV are higher among men who attained higher education (OR =2.88, 95%CI: 1.48 - 5.60). Additionally, the odds of testing and receiving results were highest among men with knowledge and awareness about HIV (OR = 2.67, 95%CI: 1.59 - 4.44). The odds of testing and receiving results were low among men who feared stigma from society in case of positive results (OR = 0.68, 95%CI: 0.52 - 0.90). Conclusion: Testing for HIV and reception of results among older men was positively associated with education level, knowledge and awareness on HIV and fear of stigma. HIV testing interventions need to target older men aged 50 years and above, who were less likely to test. Keywords: HIV, AIDS, HIV testing, Older men, Uganda, Africa.