Counseling and Testing

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards VCT, among Jimma Teachers Training College Students, Jimma town Oromia Region, Southwestern Ethiopia, 2014

To assess knowledge, attitude and practice toward HIV voluntary counseling and testing among students of Jimma Teachers Training College, in Jimma town, Oromia regional, state south western Ethiopia. A cross sectional study was conducted at Jimma teacher training college from February 10-12, 2014. The students were selected
by simple random sampling after; proportion allocation to the streams and departments was done by taking the stream
and departments as strata.

A Short History of HIV Prevention Programs for Female Sex Workers in Ghana: Lessons Learned Over 3 Decades

Female sex workers (FSWs) in Ghana have a 10-fold greater risk for acquiring HIV than the general adult population, and they contribute a substantial proportion of the new HIV infections in the country. Although researchers have conducted behavioral and biological surveys, there has been no review of the contextual, programmatic, and epidemiological changes over time. The authors conducted a historical review of HIV prevention programs in Ghana. [from abstract]

Applying Innovative Approaches for Reaching Men Who Have Sex With Men and Female Sex Workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), men who have sex with men (MSM) and female sex workers (FSW) have the highest HIV prevalence but have the least access to services due to their marginalization within Congolese society.

Outreach Strategies for the Promotion of HIV Testing and Care: Closing the Gap Between Health Services and Female Sex Workers in Benin

Regular voluntary counseling and testing is a key component of the fight against HIV/AIDS. In Benin, the project SIDA-1/2/3 established to decrease HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STIs) among female sex workers (FSWs), implemented a multifaceted intervention, including outreach activities. The objective of this article was to present potential advantages and limitations of 3 categories of outreach interventions designed to increase the use of testing services among FSWs in Benin. [from abstract]

A Regional Experience on Providing Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health for Most-at-Risk Adolescents and Young People

The article aims to evaluate the current state of sexual and reproductive health policy regarding sexual and
reproductive health service and reproductive rights for most at risk adolescent/youth. The training of trainers and
local trainings present the nature of major challenges in service provision and the quality of services in the light of
findings from international trainings conducted in Turkey and Tajikistan. [from abstract]

Reaching Men Who Have Sex with Men in Ghana through Social Media: A Pilot Intervention

The use of social media is a very important avenue for reaching MSM who are not reached by peer educators in Ghana. The method should be adopted as an integral outreach approach for HIV-prevention interventions in the future.[from abstract]

Field Guide for Implementation of the Strategy and Plan of Action for Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Congenital Syphilis in the Americas

This field guide aims to: Summarize the lessons learned during the first three years of
implementation of the Strategy and Plan of Action for the Elimination of
Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Congenital Syphilis. And provide health authorities, program managers, and other health personnel with practical guidance on updating or developing plans for accelerated implementation of the Regional Strategy and Plan of Action. [adapted from introduction]

Unravelling the Quality of HIV Counselling and Testing Services in the Private and Public Sectors in Zambia

Despite the substantial investment for providing HIV counselling and testing (VCT) services in Zambia, there has been little effort to systematically evaluate the quality of VCT services provided by various types of health providers. This study, conducted in 2009, examines VCT in the public and private sectors including private for-profit and NGO/faith-based sectors in Copperbelt and Luapula. [from abstract]

Integrating Family Planning into HIV Programs: Evidence-Based Practices

The integration of family planning (FP) and HIV services improves sexual and reproductive health outcomes by providing both services under one programmatic umbrella. This type of integration refers to the delivery of health services, and it is a subset of closely related but broader linkages between family planning and HIV policies, funding, programs, and advocacy. [from authors]

Fact Sheet: Las conductas de riesgo para hombres indígenas que residen en las zonas de alto y bajo reporte de casos de VIH

This fact sheet was developed by teams of Guatemalan public health professionals who participated long-term capacity building process to promote secondary analysis of the National Maternal and Child Health Survey 2008-2009 (Encuesta Nacional de Salud Materno Infantil – ENSMI 2008-2009) [from abstract]

Cost-Effectiveness of Facility and Home Based HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing Strategies in Rural Uganda

This article evaluates the cost effectiveness of facility-and home-based voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) utilizing community health workers with the primary outcome measure of extra cost per HIV sero-positive case identified to help for health service managers at primary care level in making decisions on suitable alternatives for VCT provision in rural communities in Uganda based on operational efficiency. [adapted from author]

Evaluating Traditional Healers Knowledge and Practices Related to HIV Testing and Treatment in South Africa

In a context of inadequate human resources for health, this study investigated whether traditional healers have the knowledge and skill base which could be utilized to assist in the scaling up of HIV prevention and treatment services in South Africa. [from abstract]

Client-Provider Interactions in Provider-Initiated and Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing Services in Uganda

This study attempts to evaluate if the provider-client experiences, perceptions and client satisfaction with the information provided differs between provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling, which is based on information-giving - and voluntary counselling and testing, which includes individualized client-centered counseling. [adapted from abstract]

Strong Effects of Home-Based Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing on Acceptance and Equity: A Cluster Randomized Trial in Zambia

This study investigated the acceptance of home-based counselling and testing by lay counselors, its equity in uptake and the effect of negative life events with a cluster-randomized trial. [adapted from abstract]

Feasibility and Acceptability of HIV Screening through the Use of Rapid Tests by General Practitioners in a Brussels Area with a Substantial African Community

The aim of the study was to assess whether HIV screening with rapid testing in Belgium neighborhoods with a significant African community was feasible and acceptable to both general practitioners and patients, and to determine the number of new HIV infections diagnosed among tested patients. [from introduction]

Implementing a Provider-Initiated Testing and Counseling (PITC) Intervention in Cape Town, South Africa: A Process Evaluation Using the Normalisation Process Model

This paper reports the findings of a process evaluation of a controlled trial of PITC for people with sexually transmitted infections attending publicly funded clinics in a low-resource setting in South Africa, where the trial results were lower than anticipated compared to the standard voluntary counselling and testing approach. [from abstract]

Challenges Faced by Health Workers in Providing Counselling Services to HIV-Positive Children in Uganda: A Descriptive Study

A descriptive study was conducted to explore the challenges health workers face in providing HIV counselling and testing services to children in Uganda. [adapted from abstract]

Voluntary HIV Testing and Risky Sexual Behaviours among Health Care Workers: A Survey in Rural and Urban Burkina Faso

This study aims to assess the prevalence of voluntary counselling and testing and high risk behaviours among health care workers in Burkina Faso. [from abstract]

Intention to Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (VCT) among Health Professionals in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia: The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) Perspective

The aim of this study was to discover the use of voluntary counseling and testing among health professionals in Ethiopia using the theory of planned behavior to determine which factors play a significant role in healthworker use. [adapted from author]

HIV Self-Testing among Health Workers: A Review of the Literature and Discussion of Current Practices, Issues and Options for Increasing Access to HIV Testing in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper examines the particular issues of self-testing for HIV among health workers in sub-Saharan Africa, where high levels of interest and motivation for self-testing among health workers has been reported and informal self-testing already practiced. [from summary]

Quantifying the Role of Private Health Providers in HIV Testing: Analysis of Data from 18 Countries

This research study sought to answer questions regarding HIV/AIDS testing in the private sector such as percentage private sector tests, frequency of private sector testing in comparison to other services, and impact of wealth quintile on selection of private sector testing. [adapted from publisher]

Client Characteristics and Acceptability of a Home-Based HIV Counselling and Testing Intervention in Rural South Africa

There is growing interest in expanding testing coverage through the implementation of innovative models such as home-based HIV counselling and testing (HBHCT) by trained lay counsellors. With the aim of informing scale up, this paper discusses client characteristics and acceptability of an HBHCT intervention implemented in rural South Africa. [from abstract]

Acceptance and Uptake of Voluntary HIV Testing among Healthcare Workers in a South African Public Hospital

The aim of this study is to determine factors associated with the acceptance and uptake of voluntary HIV testing among healthcare workers in a public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. [from abstract]

Private Healthcare Sector Doctors and HIV Testing Practices in the eThekwini Metro of KwaZulu-Natal

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among private sector doctors who manage HIV and AIDS patients in KwaZulu-Natal to collect data on private sector doctors’ HIV testing practices.

Qualitative Exploration of the Human Resource Policy Implications of Voluntary Counselling and Testing Scale-Up in Kenya: Applying a Model for Policy Analysis

This article set out to examine the human resource policy implications of scaling up HIV testing and counselling in Kenya and to analyse the resultant policy against a recognised theoretical framework of health policy reform. [from abstract]

Practicing Provider-Initiated HIV Testing in High Prevalence Settings: Consent Concerns and Missed Preventive Opportunities

The aim of this study was to determine the use of different types of HIV testing services and to investigate perceptions and experiences of these services with a particular emphasis on the provider initiated testing in three selected districts in Kenya, Tanzania, and, Zambia.

Home-Based Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing Found Highly Acceptable and to Reduce Inequalities

Low uptake of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) in sub-Saharan Africa is raising acceptability concerns which might be associated with ways by which it is offered. This study investigated the acceptability of home-based delivery of counselling and HIV testing in urban and rural populations in Zambia where VCT has been offered mostly from local clinics. [from abstract]

Impact of Provider-Initiated (Opt-Out) HIV Testing and Counseling of Patients with Sexually Transmitted Infection in Cape Town, South Africa: a Controlled Trial

This study evaluated whether the provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling approach increased HIV testing amongst patients with a new episode of sexually transmitted infection, as compared to standard voluntary counseling and testing at the primary care level in South Africa, a high prevalence and low resource setting. [from abstract]

Who Goes Where and Why? Examining HIV Counseling and Testing Services in the Public and Private Sectors in Zambia

The objectives of this study include documenting the role of the private for-profit sector in voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) service delivery; establishing whether there are significant differences in the quality of VCT services, particularly in counseling and referral practices, between public, private for-profit, NGO, and mission providers; measuring key VCT service statistics at facilities within each sector; and identify best practices from each sector. [adapted from introduction]