Does HIV knowledge, HIV stigma and risky sexual behaviour context matter in influencing HIV testing among adults who have ever had sex in Botswana? A multilevel approach

Enock Ngome, University of Botswana

Despite significant strides in voluntary HIV testing in Botswana, there still remain significant regional variations in HIV testing. The aim of this paper was to investigate the contextual effects of HIV testing in Botswana. A sample of 6244 respondents who have ever had sex was sourced from the 2013 Botswana AIDS Impact Survey. Analysis included descriptive statistics and multilevel logistic regression. Individual level factors associated with HIV testing included age, sex, marital status, level of education, Level of HIV knowledge, Level of HIV stigma, and consistent use of condom on first sexual contact. The contextual factor associated with HIV testing was residing in a district with higher levels of HIV knowledge. Residing in districts with lower levels of stigma and lower levels of risky sexual behaviors did not have an effect on HIV testing. HIV knowledge context is influential in HIV testing and should be considered in HIV/AIDS programs.