Utilization of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevention Services, and Associated Factors among the Long-Distance Truck Drivers along the Northern Corridor Highway, Kenya

Abstract

Background: Often, \nlong-distance truck drivers’ (LDTDs’) work predisposes them to sexually \ntransmitted infections (STIs) whose outcomes are influenced by access and \nbehavior of seeking sexual health care. Methodology: In this study, we assessed the utilization of HIV/STI preventive services and \nassociated factors among 296 LDTDs operating along the northern corridor \nhighway using an interviewer-administered questionnaire for data collection at \nMlolongo stopover in Machakos, Kenya. Responses for the investigated variables, \nincluding condom use, history of HIV testing, frequency of HIV testing, antiretroviral \ntherapy (ART) use and follow-up for the HIV positive and STI treatment, were \nassigned a score of either 1 or 0 depending on the question’s dimension. \nFollowing summing up for each participant, we computed a weighted score ranging \nbetween 0 and 1 by dividing the summed responses by the number of eligible \nvariables. We arbitrarily multiplied these scores by 8 to generate endpoint \nscores ranging from one to eight for each participant to help create a \ndichotomized outcome variable for utilization levels: limited utilization (1 to \n4) and good utilization (5 to 8). Association between certain independent \nvariables and the outcome variable (level of utilization of H.I.V./STIs \npreventive services) was analyzed using binomial logistic regression \nanalysis in R statistical software. Results: The mean \nage of the LDTDs was 38.4 years, ranging from 24 - 57 years. The majority (n = \n287, 97%) of the LDTDs had been tested on HIV at least once since the beginning \nof their career. Only 4.9% of the LDTDs had been tested on HIV within the \nprevious three months. Of the 175 LDTDs who reported a history of STI, most (n \n= 173, 98.9%) of them had sought treatment. Condom use rates were higher \n(97.1%) among the LDTDs who had sexual interactions with casual sexual partners \ncompared to 47.2% among regular sexual partners. Analyses classed most of the \nrespondents (n = 231, 78.0%) as having good utilization, while the rest (22%) \nhad limited utilization. History of STI was independently associated with \nutilizing HIV/STI preventive services (OR 8.4; 95% CI; 4.5, 16.7; P Conclusion: Although \nmost of the LDTDs were classed to have good \nutilization of HIV/STI preventive services, the uptake of subsequent HIV \ntesting services among them was low at only 4.9%. The \nassociation of STI history with utilization levels that we determined supports \npolicies of integrating HIV and STI services in the delivery of sexual \nhealthcare provision among LDTDs.