{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]],"date-time":"2026-01-14T10:58:52Z","timestamp":1768388332430,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]],"date-time":"2026-01-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768348800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Globally, 14% of people with HIV remain undiagnosed, delaying care and prevention. Youth in urban unplanned settlements face heightened risk due to poor access, stigma, and structural barriers, with HIV prevalence twice that of other urban areas. HIV self-testing (HIVST) offers a private, convenient approach to close this gap. We conducted a mixed-methods cross-sectional study among young people aged 15\u201324 living in Katanga Slum, Kampala, recruited by simple random sampling between February and May 2024. Quantitative data from 267 participants (mean age 20.1\u202fyears; 62.9% male) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression, and qualitative data from focus group discussions were thematically analyzed. Acceptability of HIVST was high (87.6%) while utilization was lower (43.1%). Participants viewed self-testing positively, citing convenience, privacy, accuracy, stigma reduction, and clarity of instructions. Acceptability was associated with marital status, peer discussion, family support, and absence of financial barriers, while utilization was linked to religion and peer discussion. Qualitative findings highlighted privacy, affordability, availability, and trust in results as critical drivers of acceptability and use. Despite strong acceptance, uptake remains limited by cost and accessibility. Peer-led outreach, community engagement, and subsidized kits could enhance use and contribute to improved HIV prevention and early diagnosis in this high-risk population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1704705","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]],"date-time":"2026-01-14T06:40:50Z","timestamp":1768372850000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Perceptions, acceptability, and utilization of HIV self-testing kits among young people in urban slums in Kampala"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Micheal C.","family":"Segawa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sabrina B.","family":"Kitaka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amelia M.","family":"Namiiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bruno","family":"Natuhwera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Praise D.","family":"Ahereza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ivaan","family":"Pitua","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marvin","family":"Kirya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Denis","family":"Kiberu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tom","family":"Okade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sarah M.","family":"Najjuka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ronald","family":"Olum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"Uganda","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1571","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(11)60642-9","article-title":"Making a difference to health in slums: an HIV and African perspective","volume":"377","author":"Thomas","year":"2011","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1002458","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed1002458","article-title":"Direct provision versus facility collection of HIV self-tests among female sex workers in Uganda: a cluster-randomized controlled health systems 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Africa","volume":"19","author":"Njau","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.55670.1","article-title":"Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions about HIV self-testing amongst college students in Namibia","volume":"11","author":"Mhango","year":"2022","journal-title":"F1000Res"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"531","DOI":"10.1177\/0956462415586676","article-title":"Acceptability and feasibility of HIV self-testing among men who have sex with men in Peru and Brazil","volume":"27","author":"Volk","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J STD AIDS"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.2989\/16085906.2019.1638427","article-title":"Perceptions and attitudes towards acceptability of HIV self-testing among female sex workers in Selibe Phikwe, Botswana","volume":"18","author":"Oduetse","year":"2019","journal-title":"Afr J AIDS 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Uganda: a quasi-experimental study protocol","volume":"5","author":"Olum","year":"2024","journal-title":"Implement Sci Commun"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1163","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-023-16081-0","article-title":"Feasibility and acceptability of peer-delivered HIV self-testing and PrEP for young women in Kampala, Uganda","volume":"23","author":"Nakalega","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1186\/s12981-022-00484-x","article-title":"Factors associated with HIV self-testing among female university students in Uganda: a cross-sectional study","volume":"19","author":"Segawa","year":"2022","journal-title":"AIDS Res Ther"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"707","DOI":"10.3390\/rel2040707","article-title":"Inter-religious cooperation for HIV prevention in Uganda: a study among Muslim and Christian youth in Wakiso 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