Trends in the uptake of antenatal voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and HIV prevalence among childbearing women in Barbados, 1993-2004: evidence to gauge the effectiveness of HIV prevention measures

Background: There is compelling evidence that male circumcision (MC) is associated with reduced risk of contracting HIV. For this reason, MC is recommended for countries like Namibia where HIV prevalence is high and MC rates are low. Following this recommendation, a national MC campaign was considered to introduce MC as an additional HIV prevention strategy with the intention of rolling it out in communities where MC is not traditionally practised and where heterosexually transmitted HIV infection rates are high. Little is known about the acceptability of MC in traditionally non-circumcising communities in Northern Namibia.Objective: This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of MC among men presenting for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) in a traditionally non-circumcising ethnic group in the northern Namibia.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 331 Oshiwambo-speaking males aged 18 years and older, presenting for VCT services. Data was analysed using Epi-Info 2008, Version 3.5.1.Results: The self-reported prevalence of MC in the study sample was 15.4%, with 38% of those reporting being circumcised during their childhood (1-13 years) and 44% being circumcised for health-related reasons. Most respondents (n = 241, 74.4%) had heard that MC reduces the men’s risk of HIV infection. Up to 53.1% of the respondents had good knowledge regarding MC; moreover, the majority of the respondents (n = 194, 66.6%) reported that it is easier for uncircumcised men to acquire HIV infection. It was found that men aged 25 to 34 years were more willing to be circumcised than the other age groups.Conclusions: A high level of knowledge of MC was revealed. Accordingly, the idea of MC is likely to be accepted, especially if it is implemented to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

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The utility of voluntary counselling and testing data as a source of information on HIV prevalence: a systematic review

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1258/ijsa.2009.009427 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 305-311 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

D Horyniak ◽

R Guy ◽

D Prybylski ◽

M Hellard ◽

J Kaldor

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Hiv Prevalence ◽

Voluntary Counselling ◽

Testing Data ◽

Voluntary Counselling And Testing ◽

Source Of Information

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Uptake of Voluntary Counselling and Testing among Young People Participating in an HIV Prevention Trial: Comparison of Opt-Out and Opt-In Strategies

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0042108 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 7 (7) ◽

pp. e42108 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Kathy Baisley ◽

Aoife M. Doyle ◽

John Changalucha ◽

Kaballa Maganja ◽

Deborah Watson-Jones ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Hiv Prevention ◽

Prevention Trial ◽

Voluntary Counselling ◽

Opt Out ◽

Voluntary Counselling And Testing

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Voluntary counselling and testing uptake and HIV prevalence among tuberculosis patients in Jogjakarta, Indonesia

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ◽

10.1016/j.trstmh.2008.04.042 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 102 (10) ◽

pp. 1003-1010 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yodi Mahendradhata ◽

Riris A. Ahmad ◽

Theodorus A. Kusuma ◽

Marleen Boelaert ◽

Marieke J. Van der Werf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hiv Prevalence ◽

Tuberculosis Patients ◽

Voluntary Counselling ◽

Testing Uptake ◽

Voluntary Counselling And Testing

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Voluntary counselling and testing for young adults in Limpopo Province – Counsellors’ perceptions

Health SA Gesondheid ◽

10.4102/hsag.v18i1.615 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Patrone R. Risenga ◽

Mashudu Davhana-Maselesele ◽

Chikwelu L. Obi

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Hiv Prevention ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Limpopo Province ◽

Voluntary Counselling ◽

Testing Uptake ◽

Risky Behaviours ◽

Vhembe District ◽

Voluntary Counselling And Testing

Counselling and testing services for HIV have long been a component of HIV prevention and care programmes in developed countries and have proved to be a cost-effective way of reducing risky behaviours. It is, therefore, important to document the perceptions of voluntary counselling and testing counsellors towards the use of counselling and testing amongst young adults. The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of these counsellors dealing with young adults in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, where the study was conducted. Two themes emerged from the findings of the voluntary counselling and testing counsellors, namely that they feel that the programmes are inaccessible to young adults and that there are difficulties which might impact on the programmes’ efficacy. The findings of this study should contribute to the reduction of HIV by promoting voluntary counselling and testing uptake by young adults. Berading- en toestingsdienste vir HIV is lankal reeds ‘n geintegreerde deel van die voorkoming en versorgingsprogramme van HIV in ontwikkelde lande en dit is bewys dat dit ’n koste-effektieve manier is om gevaarlike gedrag te verminder. Dit is dus belangrik om die persepsies van vrywillige berading en toesting deur beraders ten opsigte van die gebruik van beraders onder jong volwassenes, te staaf. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die persepsies van hierdie beraders wat met jong volwassenes in die Vhembe distrik, Limpopo provinsie, werk, te beskryf. Twee temas het uit die bevindinge te voorskyn gekom, naamlik: dat die programme ontoeganglik vir jong mense is, en dat daar moontlike probleme is wat op die doeltreffenheid van die programme inslaan. Die bevindinge van hiedie studie behoort ’n bydrae te maak tot die vermindering van HIV deur die vrywillige berading en toesting by jong mense aan te beveel.

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Voluntary counselling and testing sites as a source of sentinel information on HIV prevalence in a concentrated epidemic: a pilot project from Indonesia

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1258/ijsa.2009.009445 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (9) ◽

pp. 505-511 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

R Guy ◽

D E Mustikawati ◽

D B Wijaksono ◽

N Nugraihini ◽

S Priohutomo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Project ◽

Hiv Prevalence ◽

Voluntary Counselling ◽

Concentrated Epidemic ◽

Voluntary Counselling And Testing

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Spatial characteristics of men who have sex with men and transgender women attending HIV voluntary counselling and testing in Bangkok, Thailand, 2005–2015

Geospatial health ◽

10.4081/gh.2020.790 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kevin Weiss ◽

Samart Karuchit ◽

Sarika Pattanasin ◽

Anupong Chitwarakorn ◽

Wipas Wimonsate ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hiv Testing ◽

Spatial Data ◽

Transgender Women ◽

Hiv Prevalence ◽

Targeted Prevention ◽

Spatial Characteristics ◽

Voluntary Counselling ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Voluntary Counselling And Testing ◽

Over Time

Spatiotemporal analyses can support Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) prevention programmes by identifying locations of at-risk populations in space and time, and their proximity to HIV testing and prevention services. We assessed residential proximity to HIV testing venues for Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TGW) attending Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) at a large urban MSM clinic in Bangkok, Thailand in the period 2005–2015. We mapped clientprovided spatial data and HIV testing venues, calculating distance from residence to venues for VCT clients between i) September 2005–December 2009; ii) January 2010–September 2013; and iii) October 2013–May 2015. We assessed spatial characteristics across times, evaluating autocorrelation of HIV prevalence and visit density using Moran’s I. Among 8,758 first-time VCT clients reporting geographic information from 2005–2015 (by period: 2737, 3917, 2104), 1329 (15.2%) lived in postal codes ≤5 km from the clinic. Over time, the proportion living in areas covered by Bangkok postal codes ≤2 km from any MSM HIV testing venue increased from 12.6% to 41.0% (p<0.01). The proportion living ≤5 km from the clinic decreased from 16.6% to 13.0% (p<0.01). HIV prevalence and clinic visit density demonstrated statistically significant non-random spatial patterning. Significant non-random patterning of prevalent infection and client visits highlighted Bangkok’s urban HIV epidemic, clinic proximity to clients, and geographic reach. Clients lived closer to testing venues, yet farther from the urban MSM clinic, over time. Spatiotemporal characteristics of VCT clients can help assess service accessibility and guide targeted prevention planning.

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