ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL STIGMA OF HIV VOLUNTARYCOUNSELLING AND TESTING (VCT) UTILIZATION AMONGFEDERAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
Keywords:
HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), Social Stigma, Federal University Students, Northern Nigeria, Gender DifferencesAbstract
This study examined the social stigma of HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) utilisation among federal university
students in Northern Nigeria. To achieve this purpose, a descriptive survey research design was used. The population of the
study comprised 421,436 federal university students in Northern Nigeria. The sample size of 662 respondents was drawn from
the population using a multi-stage sampling procedure, which includes cluster, simple random, proportionate, and convenience
sampling. The instrument for data collection was a researcher-structured closed-ended questionnaire which was validated by
five (5) experts in experts in the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Department of Psychology and
Counselling, and College of Medical Services in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The instrument was pilot-tested using
Cronbach's Alpha, and a reliability coefficient of 0.884 was obtained. Descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage were
used to describe the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The research questions were answered using mean and
standard deviation. Inferential statistics of one-sample t-test and independent sample t-test were used to test the stated
hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The result revealed a significant social stigma (t = 21.247; p = 0.000) regarding HIV
VCT utilisation among federal university students in Northern Nigeria, with gender-based differences in social stigma (t =
17.824; p = 0.000). The study concluded that federal university students in Northern Nigeria face high levels of social stigma
regarding HIV VCT utilisation, with female students perceiving greater stigma than their male counterparts. It recommends
that government, university authorities, student unions, and NGOs implement comprehensive anti-stigma campaigns and
gender-sensitive outreach programs, particularly targeting female students.