Couples voluntary counselling and testing among VCT clients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Couples Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CVCT) is an effective HIV prevention strategy for couples who represent the largest risk group in Africa, with less than 1% of couples tested for HIV in the region.

The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of couples VCT utilization and assess the factors associated with use of CVCT services in Addis Ababa.

A cross sectional survey was conducted on 771 clients in six government hospital VCT sites in Addis Ababa city from July 2006 to July 2007.

The proportion of CVCT users among the study participants was 14.5%. Based on the adjusted regression, the respondents who were in the primary educational level were 4 times more likely to use CVCT service than those respondents who never had a formal education (AOR=3.88, 95%CI (1.22-12.30)). Respondents who used condom occasionally, during sexual intercourse with their regular partners and those who had no sexual intercourse six months prior to the study were more likely to use CVCT service than their counter parts with AOR=4.50, 95%CI (1.33-15.31) and AOR=4.23, 95%CI (2.66-6.68), respectively. On the other hand, respondents who never heard about CVCT service utilization and whose partners lived outside of town were less likely to use CVCT compared to their counterparts, respectively. Among those who had partners during the study period, the most common reasons given by the respondents for not using CVCT service were that the partner tested previously and already knew the result, unavailability and unwillingness of the partner.

Use of couples VCT service in Addis Ababa is still low. Specific approaches to promote CVCT service are required to be developed through appropriate researches.