June 2004

Attracting Youth to Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services in Uganda

Methods

This summary presents findings from exit interviews conducted with youth 14 to 21 years old leaving services at AIC and NTIHC. The exit interview data from AIC are from interviews with youth conducted prior to the implementation of the youth corner (February to May 2001) and after the intervention was well established (May to August 2003). The exit interview data presented from NTIHC were collected after VCT services were well under way at the youth drop-in center (May to August 2003). The summary also draws on in-depth interviews with exit interview participants and on focus groups conducted with tested and untested youth.

Researchers adapted items from UNAIDS’ Tools for Evaluating HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing to measure satisfaction by youth with services. Researchers also conducted in-depth interviews with counselors to learn their views of the job and the new youth-focused services. In addition, expert VCT counselors from other facilities observed and rated counseling sessions with individuals, couples, and groups. Table 1 presents the data collected by facility before and after youth VCT services were introduced.

Characteristics of the Exit Interview Samples

After the introduction of VCT services, about 85 percent of youth were 18 to 21 years old, and more females than males came for services. Seventy-seven percent of youth lived in Kampala and 90 percent were unmarried. The clinics served somewhat different populations regarding schooling: AIC attracted more out-of-school youth (56 percent) than did NTIHC (44 percent).