A Qualitative Analysis of the Factors for HIV Vulnerability among University Students: A Case of Uganda and Tanzania

Abstract

In a bid to establish the reasons for HIV vulnerability among university students, the researchers conducted focus group discussions to achieve an in-depth analysis of the university students' perspective of the reasons for their own vulnerability to the scourge. There were two focus groups consisting of both male and female university students from each of the university colleges. Each group consisted of ten respondents, selected using purposive sampling, particularly in-service teachers at the Makerere University College of Education and External Studies (MUCEES) and Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE). The findings revealed several social, behavioural, psychological, gender-related, parental, economic, religious and policy related drivers of HIV vulnerability. This calls for diverse interventions such as increased parental and religious involvement, economic empowerment, life skills education and practical HIV policies at universities.