Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV among nursing students in Zambia

Abstract

Access to voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services has become an important tool in the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. A cross-sectional knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) study was conducted with 50 nursing students in Zambia. All students were aware of where to go for VCT, and 80% had reported using VCT services. However, the participants expressed concerns about privacy and confidentiality related to testing, with most students preferring to seek future VCT at a facility far from their workplace. This ongoing fear of stigma associated with HIV testing was similar to the findings of a recent KAP study conducted among young adults in Bo, Sierra Leone.