Health beliefs and barriers related to hiv prevention and screening among students of the university of vlora: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Previous researchers have found that young university students can have a high level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), but they are still not utilizing the existing HIV prevention methods. There is therefore a need to determine which factors and barriers influence the use of existing HIV screening and prevention methods among students of the University of Vlora in Albania. This descriptive cross-sectional study included as a target population 710 students, randomly selected. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. A regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between variables. The results showed that 69% of the students felt ofended if their partner requested to use a condom. 78% of the students with sexual experience didn’t used Voluntary Counseling and Testing services. The fear of stigmatization was one of the barriers to VCT uptake (p<0.0001, OR=1.779). These data will be useful in designing and improving HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Albania. Key words: Barriers, Health beliefs, HIV/AIDS, Screening, Sexual Health, Student.