Drivers Of HIV Preventive Service Uptake Among Boda-Boda Operators In Homa-Bay Town

Abstract

The mobility of the transport sector makes it difficult to access health information and treatment and/or maintain a drug regimen. The study adopted three theories, key among the theories was theory of reasoned action due to the fact that it sees a person’s behavior as an intention which is a function of one’s attitude towards behavior and their subjective norm. This was a mixed methods descriptive cross-sectional study. The study targeted male boda-boda operators who were aged between 20-40 years. The sample size for the study was 122. In the multivariate analysis, occupation of the respondent, marital status and highest level of education attained were significantly associated with HIV prevention services uptake. Participants who reported owning a business, either (Duka, Kiosk or Juakali) were about 38% less likely to utilize any of the services compared to those who reported farming as their other source of income occupation (PR=0.62, 95% CI 0.62-0.96); whereas in terms of marital status, divorced/separated were two-fold likely to use any of the two services compared to the married in a monogamous family (PR=2.13, 95% CI 1.36-3.33). Those respondents reporting having attained primary level of education as the highest were 1.3 more likely to utilize any of the services compared to those reporting secondary as the highest level of education (PR=1.33, 95% CI 1.00-1.78). The study recommends to the ministry through NACC to create flexible HIV testing hours in order to reach all the operators with testing services, put emphasis to increase the utilization of HIV prevention methods through education, there is also a need to target operators with higher educational levels, those that own business and married monogamous to increase their ability to effectively utilize HIV preventive methods.