"If you find that I am HIV positive, don't tell me": Exploring the barriers and recommendations for HIV prevention services utilization among youth in rural southwestern Uganda.

Globally, the majority of new HIV infections are recorded in Eastern and Southern Africa, with the youth being disproportionately affected. HIV prevention is the cornerstone of controlling the spread of HIV and ending this epidemic by 2030. However, barriers to the utilization of HIV prevention services remained underexplored especially among the youth in rural settings in sub-Saharan Africa.