Youth’s attitudes towards HIV/AIDS voluntary counseling and testing service The case of mbalizi road ward in Mbeya, Mbeya region, Tanzania

The study investigated youths' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services in Mbeya city in Tanzania with Mbalizi Road Ward being a case study. Specifically it sought to (i) examine youths' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing services, (ii) assess youths' understanding regarding significance of VCT for HIV/AIDS prevention and (iii) examine factors which influence youths to seek or not to seek for VCT services. The study was guided by the Attitude-Social-Influence-Self efficacy model (ASE-model) adopted from Dijkstra and Kuhlman. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions and documentary review from a sample of 99 respondents, including youths, Counsellors and the District HIV/AIDS Coordinator. The study was carried out in Mbeya city and employed a case study design. Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. Eventually, qualitative data were content analyzed while quantitative data were classified and presented in tabular form from which percentages and frequencies were computed. Results from the study revealed that many youths' have positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing services. Major reasons were the perceived benefits like VCT services provides knowledge about HIV status among youths' and also VCT services helps people with HIV to maintain their health. The study recommends that the government and non -governmental organizations' should strengthen the VCT services by improving access as well as the availability so as to increase uptake among youths. It may be through increased community mobilizations for VCT, increased mass media campaigns through radio and television. Furthermore, the study recommends that further studies should be extended to villages so as to examine individual attitudes towards HIV/AIDS VCT services, significance of VCT services and factors influencing people to seek or not to seek for VCT services.