%0 Journal Article
%T Utilization of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevention Services, and Associated Factors among the Long-Distance Truck Drivers along the Northern Corridor Highway, Kenya
%A Cyrus Mutie
%A Salome Kairu-Wanyoike
%A Susan Mambo
%A Reagan Ngoge
%A John Gachohi
%J Advances in Sexual Medicine
%P 39-58
%@ 2164-5205
%D 2021
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/asm.2021.113003
%X <b><span>Background</span></b><span><span>: Often,
long-distance truck drivers¡¯ (LDTDs¡¯) work predisposes them to sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) whose outcomes are influenced by access and
behavior of seeking sexual health care. </span><b></b></span><b><b><span>Methodology</span></b><span>:</span></b><span> In this study, we assessed the utilization of HIV/STI preventive services and
associated factors among 296 LDTDs operating along the northern corridor
highway using an interviewer-administered questionnaire for data collection at
Mlolongo stopover in Machakos, Kenya. Responses for the investigated variables,
including condom use, history of HIV testing, frequency of HIV testing, antiretroviral
therapy (ART) use and follow-up for the HIV positive and STI treatment, were
assigned a score of either 1 or 0 depending on the question¡¯s dimension.
Following summing up for each participant, we computed a weighted score ranging
between 0 and 1 by dividing the summed responses by the number of eligible
variables. We arbitrarily multiplied these scores by 8 to generate endpoint
scores ranging from one to eight for each participant to help create a
dichotomized outcome variable for utilization levels: limited utilization (1 to
4) and good utilization (5 to 8). Association between certain independent
variables and the outcome variable (level of utilization of H.I.V./STIs
preventive services) w</span><span>as</span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"><span><span> analyzed using binomial logistic regression
analysis in R statistical software. </span><b></b></span><b><b><span>Results</span></b><span>:</span></b><span> The mean
age of the LDTDs was 38.4 years, ranging from 24 - 57 years. The majority (n =
287, 97%) of the LDTDs had been tested on HIV at least once since the beginning
of their career. Only 4.9% of the LDTDs had been tested on HIV within the
previous three months. Of the 175 LDTDs who reported a history of STI, most (n
= 173, 98.9%) of them had sought treatment. Condom use rates were higher
(97.1%) among the LDTDs who had sexual interactions with casual sexual partners
compared to 47.2% among regular sexual partners. Analyses classed most of the
respondents (n = 231, 78.0%) as having good utilization, while the rest (22%)
had limited utilization. History of STI was independently associated with
utilizing HIV/STI preventive services (OR 8.4; 95% CI; 4.5,</span></span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"><span><span>16.7; P &lt; 0.001).
%K Utilization
%K Factors
%K Sexually Transmitted Infections
%K HIV/STI Services
%K Long-Distance Truck Drivers
%K Northern Corridor Highway
%K Kenya
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=109676