HIV voluntary counseling and testing: an experience from India

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) is crucial for HIV prevention and management.
• Limited data exists on pre- and post-HIV test counseling experiences in developing nations.
• Tertiary healthcare centers play a vital role in accessible VCT services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the experience of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) at a tertiary healthcare center.
• To identify socio-demographic factors and reasons associated with HIV sero-positivity.
• To evaluate existing client-initiated VCT in light of provider-initiated VCT recommendations.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study at a tertiary healthcare VCT center and National HIV Reference Center.
• Data collected from 1750 participants (1169 males, 581 females) between February 2005 and March 2006.
• Statistical analysis using odds ratios to determine associations with HIV sero-status.

Main Results:

• Overall HIV-sero-positivity was 27.5% in males and 26.9% in females.
• Factors associated with HIV-positivity included age (25-44 yrs), being married, lower education levels, and specific reasons for testing (e.g., spouse's death/infection, history of risk behavior).
• Odds ratios indicated significant associations: married status (2.3), spouse death/HIV-infected spouse reason (2.2), age group 25-44 (approx. 1.5), lower education (approx. 1.5).

Conclusions:

• Client-initiated VCT services are effective in identifying individuals at higher risk for HIV.
• Socio-demographic factors like age, marital status, and education level are significantly associated with HIV-positive status.
• Understanding these associations is critical for targeted HIV prevention strategies and VCT service implementation.