Challenges of expansion of voluntary counselling and testing in India
Suniti Solomon A , Kartik K. Venkatesh B , A. K. Srikrishnan A and Kenneth H. Mayer B CA YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education, VHS, Chennai 600013, India.
B Miriam Hospital, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA.
C Corresponding author. Email: Kenneth_Mayer@Brown.edu
Sexual Health 5(4) 371-372 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH07090
Submitted: 1 November 2007 Accepted: 15 July 2008 Published: 18 November 2008
Abstract
Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) has been recognised as an integral element of any effective HIV public health primary prevention and care program. In India, it is currently estimated that 2.0–3.1 million individuals are living with HIV. As low-cost antiretroviral therapy has increasingly become available in India, VCT could be an important link connecting individuals to treatment and care. Major barriers remain for scaling-up of VCT services, including location of VCT centres, HIV-associated stigma, and lack of perception of HIV risk. Future national expansions of VCT services must engage the Indian private sector, which is likely to remain the largest provider of healthcare for the foreseeable future, through scaling-up personnel in these facilities to provide accurate testing and culturally-relevant counselling.
Additional keywords: HIV, prevention.
[1]
[2]
[3] Morin S, Khumulo-Sakutukwa G, Charlebois ED, Routh J, Fritz K, Lane T, et al. Removing barriers to knowing HIV status: same-day mobile HIV testing in Zimbabwe. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2006; 41 218–24.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | [verified 15 June 2008]
[6] Rogers A, Meundi A, Amma A, Rao A, Shetty P, Antony J, et al. HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, perceived benefits, and risks of HIV testing among pregnant women in rural southern India. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2006; 20 803–11.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |
[7] Sinha G, Dyalchand A, Khale M, Kulkarni G, Vasudevan S, Bollinger RC. Low utilization of HIV testing during pregnancy: What are the barriers to HIV testing for women in rural India? J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2008; 47 248–52.
| PubMed |
[8]
[9] Solomon S, Kouyoumdjian FG, Cecelia AJ, James R, James L, Kumarasamy N. Why are people getting tested? Self-reported reasons for seeking voluntary counseling and testing at a clinic in Chennai, India. AIDS Behav 2006; 10 415–20.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |
[10] Bentley M, Spratt K, Shepherd ME, Gangakhedkar RR, Thilikavathi S, Bollinger RC, et al. HIV testing and counseling among men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics in Pune, India: changes in condom use and sexual behavior over time. AIDS 1998; 12 1869–77.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed |
[11] Day J, Miyamura K, Grant AD, Leeuw A, Munsamy J, Baggaley R, et al. Attitudes of HIV voluntary counselling and testing among mineworkers in South Africa: will availability of antiretroviral therapy encourage testing? AIDS Care 2003; 15 665–72.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed |
[12] Sweat M, Gregorich S, Sangiwa G, Furlonge C, Balmer D, Kamenga C, et al. Cost-effectiveness of voluntary HIV-1 counseling and testing in reducing sexual transmission of HIV-1 in Kenya and Tanzania. Lancet 2000; 356 113–21.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed |
[13] Thomas B, Ramachandran R, Anitha S, Swaminathan S. Feasibility of routine HIV testing among TB patients through a voluntary counselling and testing centre. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2007; 11 1296–301.
| CAS | PubMed |
