Awareness and Uptake of HIV Testing Among Youth in Yola, Adamawa State

Background: HIV testing is the critical entry point to prevention, treatment, and care, and improving uptake among youths in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone is essential to epidemic control. This study assesses awareness and uptake of HIV testing among youth in Yola, Adamawa State. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study enrolled 290 young adults aged 15 to 35 years using stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire assessed HIV knowledge, prior testing experience, and barriers to testing uptake. Results: Awareness of HIV testing services was high, but actual testing uptake was considerably lower. Stigma, fear of positive results, and concerns about confidentiality were dominant barriers. Females and respondents with tertiary education had higher testing uptake. Provider-initiated testing acceptance was significantly higher than self-initiated testing. Conclusion: Improving HIV testing uptake among youth in Yola requires a multipronged approach addressing stigma, confidentiality concerns, and accessibility of youth-friendly testing services. Family medicine practitioners should advocate for provider-initiated testing and counselling as a standard component of all youth healthcare encounters. Keywords: HIV testing, youth, uptake, Yola, Adamawa State