Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Premarital Counselling and Testing for HIV/AIDS Among Students of College of Education.

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Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a significant public health challenge, especially for young people in sub-Saharan Africa, which struggles with low HIV testing rates and diagnosis, that lead to delayed treatment and increase risk of transmission. Premarital voluntary HIV counseling and testing emerge as a proactive strategy to curb both vertical and heterosexual transmission in regions with high HIV prevalence. However, despite these efforts of premarital testing and self-testing, stigma, confidentiality concerns, and misconceptions continue to hinder uptake, particularly among students.

Aim: To explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of premarital HIV counseling and testing among college students.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 245 students (response rate 94.2%) using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests for associations between variables.

Results: The majority of participants (89.4%) were aware of HIV/AIDS, with 53.9% demonstrating good knowledge. Most respondents (78%) showed positive attitudes toward PMCT, with 81.6% of unmarried participants expressing willingness to undergo testing. Among married participants, 52.3% had undergone PMCT. Major barriers included religious beliefs (45.3%), partner's refusal (43.3%), and cultural beliefs (40.4%). Significant associations were found between PMCT knowledge and ethnicity (p<0.001), religion (p=0.046), and marital status (p=0.012).

Conclusion: While awareness and attitudes toward PMCT were generally positive, there remains a gap between knowledge and practice. Religious, cultural, and social factors significantly influence PMCT uptake. These findings suggest the need for comprehensive interventions addressing sociocultural barriers and improving accessibility to PMCT services among college students.