Botswana's Tebelopele voluntary HIV counseling and testing network: use and client risk factors for HIV infection,...

: HIV services, including voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, expanded rapidly in Botswana from 2000 through 2004.

: Client data from Botswana's Tebelopele VCT network were analyzed to describe clients, factors associated with HIV infection, and trends in VCT use.

: Tebelopele provided free, anonymous, same-day HIV tests for 117,234 clients from 2000 through 2004. Before ARV therapy was available, 8.3% of clients sought a test because of illness, and 26.3% were HIV-positive. After ARV therapy became available, 20.1% of clients sought a test because of illness, and 38.8% were HIV-positive. Most VCT clients (82.7%) were unmarried; 89.8% reported no or 1 sexual partner in the last 3 months; and 50.2% of unmarried clients reported always using condoms in the last 3 months. In multivariate analysis, higher educational level, marriage, and always using condoms were associated with a lower risk of HIV. Having only 1 recent sexual partner was associated with less condom use and a higher risk of being HIV-positive for men.

: VCT has been well accepted in Botswana. Analysis of this data set supports efforts to promote 100% condom use and to emphasize that partner reduction must be combined with condom use and HIV testing to protect against HIV.