Abstract:
Background: The identification of individuals’ perception of risk is strongly related to the self
protecting behavior of individuals. For successful HIV prevention and control program
monitoring risk behaviors among persons who are infected or persons who are at highest risk for
infection is vital way.
Objective: To assess the association between perceived risks of HIV infection and predictor
variables and compare risk perception with test results
Method: This is a cross sectional study based on data routinely collected by service provider for
the period of July 2007 and November 2008. Altogether 47,876 clients were included in the
study. Descriptive and multivariate analyses performed to determine risk perception
Result: Overall the majority of the respondents viewed themselves as being at no risk of HIV
infection. Female clients perceived more risk than male clients and respectively, AOR=1.11 95%
CI 1.05- 1.14). Clients who were in previous marital union such as widowed (AOR=2.05, 95%
CI: 1.84-2.28) followed by divorced (AOR=1.5) and Separated (AOR=1.21) perceived more risk
than their married clients. Employed client 1.29 times more likely to perceive risk than
unemployed clients (AOR= 1.29, 95 % CI: 1.24-1.33), risk perception was higher among clients
with history of sex for money (AOR=1.40, 95% CI: 1.28-1.53), CSW (AOR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.53-
2.36) and clients with history of STI (AOR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.19-1.39) compared to their
corresponding reference population categories. As the number of casual partners increase HIV
risk perception also increase (X2= 702.766, p-value= 0.000001). Clients with positive HIV test
result 1.45 times more likely to perceive risk of HIV infection than clients with negative test
result (AOR=1.45, CI: 1.35-1.57)
Conclusion: Overall the risk perception was low among mobile HCT clients, however HIV risk
of infection is perceived more by females, clients in previous marital union, employed and
uneducated and clients with risky sexual behavior. The result revealed that risk perception has
significant association with individuals HIV test result
Recommendation: Improve behavioral communication approaches to enable people to be aware
of their risks that help them to protect from HIV/AIDS and provide targeted HIV prevention service
