2. Availability and utilization of Youth-Friendly Services on HIV testing and counselling among youth in three districts of Tanzania Wahida Ramadhani1, David P. Ngilangwa1, Emilian Michael1, Rita Noronha1 1 Amref Health Africa, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)
Rainbow Towers Hotel & Conference Centre,
Harare, Zimbabwe
29th November to 4th December 2015

3. Outline Background Methods Results Discussion and conclusions
Acknowledgments

4. Background
In Tanzania, youth aged years accounts for 32% of the population (TDHS 2010)
More than 50% of them are sexually active
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) including HIV testing and counseling (HTC) services is pertinent for their long-term health
Majority of them are denied or declined to access HTC services due to stigma by: (Brittain et al: 2015)
Community members and service providers
Thus, 39% and 25% of young men and women of years who had sex have been tested for HIV (TDHS 2010)

5. Background (Ct’n)
Developing Youth-Friendly Services (YFS) sites where youth can access and utilize HTC services comfortably will reduce;
Unwanted pregnancies
Unsafe abortion
Sexually transmitted infections including HIV
Baseline survey aimed at understanding availability, awareness and utilization of YFS in three selected districts
Availability
awareness and
utilization of YFS in three selected districts
Purpose: To inform Amref Health Africa prior implementation of the intervention targeting youth

6. Methods Study design Study population and sites Sampling Data analysis
A mix methods quasi-experimental baseline assessment
Study population and sites
Youths aged years in three districts of Tanzania namely Makete, Namtumbo and Temeke in August 2013
Sampling
A multistage sampling technique
Sampled and enrolled 346 participants
Data collection
A standardized questionnaire
Interviews guides
Data analysis
Descriptive analysis
SPSS version 16
Qualitative data was analysed manually

7. Results Socio-demographic characteristics of participants
171 (49.4%) and 175 (50.6%) youths from the intervention and comparison sites respectively
Of them, more than half 204(58.96%) were female
Their mean age was 17
The majority 46.5%(161) had completed secondary school

8. Results (Ct’n)
77% of youth from both arms were unaware of the availability of YFS in their nearby health facility (HF)
50% of youth who were aware have ever used YFS
36.8% in treatment and 29.1% control had ever tested for HIV in YFS in one of the nearby HF
Most preferred place of VCT testing were:
Standalone VCT: 49(77.4%) 28(48.4%) for intervention and control respectively
Inside HF: 26(41.0%) and 20(34.6%) for intervention and control respectively
50(79.3) and 44 (86.2%) youth from treatment and comparison respectively received their results the same day

9. Results (Ct’n)
More than 80% from both arms shared their HIV results with their partners
HIV prevalence was 15.8% and 15.6% for treatment and control respectively
Young girls contributing for more than 80% for both arms
Some areas were reported to have active YFS whereas others not due to lack of personnel and funds
“We have five (5) centres including Yombo, Temeke hospital, Kizuiani and Kigamboni. We also have YFS that have been supported by UNICEF for a long time...” (KII/Temeke)
“We had such services in 2006 – 2007 but currently we don’t have ….because the health care providers who were providing such services were transferred. But we are now planning to resume the services” (KII/Makete)

10. Discussion and conclusions
Findings suggest that availability and accessibility of YFS is relatively low
This is despite of readiness of youth to utilize them
Recommendations
Support CHMTs to scale up and promote YFS sites to reach many marginalized youths

11. Acknowledgements
UNICEF
Study respondents
Amref Health Africa Staff