Voluntary Counseling and Willingness to Screen among Nigerian Long Distance Truck Drivers

BACKGROUND: Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) is an important preventive strategy in the control of HIV/AIDS and Long distance truck drivers (LDTD) have been identified as an important group in the transmission of HIV/AIDS. This study aims to assess knowledge and perception of Nigerian long distance truck drivers on HIV/AIDS, voluntary counseling and testing and their willingness to undergo HIV screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and ninety seven LDTD in Enugu, Nigeria were surveyed using pre tested structured questionnaires. RESULTS: Awareness of HIV/AIDS was high (94.9%) amongst the drivers and the media was their commonest source of information. Similarly the awareness of VCT was high (94.4%). One hundred and eight (54.8%) respondents were willing to undergo HIV screening test if offered freely and 86 (43.7%) others have previously been screened. Educational status was a significant determinant of willingness to undergo HIV screening p<0.05. The reasons for screening were mainly doctors’ recommendation (19.3%) and voluntary self screening (18.8%). The commonest reasons for not wanting to undergo screening were the feeling of not being at risk (27.9%), fear of a positive result (10.2%) and cost of screening test (9.6%). CONCLUSION: There is a critical need to improve HIV screening participation amongst Long distance drivers in Nigeria.