ACCEPTABILITY OF VOLUNTARY HIV TESTING WITH COUNSELING IN A RURAL VILLAGE IN KAGERA, TANZANIA

A Pilot study on acceptability of voluntary HN testing with counsellin g was performed in a rural village in Kagera, Tanzania as a potential intervention against HIV transmission. Village residents were prepared by their leaders and subsequently invited to health education group m eetings to volunteer for the test. Consenting individuals were intervi ewed to determine awareness and acceptance of the offer followed by pr e-test counselling and taking of a blood sample for subsequent HIV tes ting. Two months later, the results of the test were returned with pos t-test counselling coupled with a short interview of a random sample o f adults in the village. Of the 245 adults responding to the call, 137 (55.9%) subsequently volunteered. The main reason far volunteering wa s to know the HIV status (96%). Among those who were aware of the offe r, the main reason for not volunteering was that they felt unlikely to catch AIDS, implying that they had a false perception of being at low risk. In this study a significant proportion were willing to voluntee r for the HIV test and to receive the results, indicating a moderate l evel of acceptability. The results also indicate the need for developi ng innovative ways of enhancing acceptability of voluntary HIV testing with counselling. However, the relationship between knowledge of HIV status and behavioural change is complex and therefore several potenti al mechanisms may exist by which HIV testing in combination with couns elling can influence behaviour. For this reason, people should be give n the choice of knowing their HIV status since it may constitute a pot ential mechanism for influencing behaviour towards reduction of HIV tr ansmission.