Community-based Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services in Rural Communities of Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand
- 15 May 2007
- journal article
- Published by Springer Nature in AIDS and Behavior
- Vol. 11 (5) , 770-777
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-007-9242-7
Abstract
Between September, 2002 to May, 2003, we implemented community-based HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services in four rural areas of Chiang Mai Province. The services included providing HIV/AIDS education and free mobile VCT using rapid testing with same day results. Overall, 427 villagers came for VCT (testers) and consented to be interviewed. HIV prevalence among testers was 4.9%, range from 1.1 to 8.4% by area. 'It is free' and/or 'convenient' were the most frequently cited factors that motivated them to get tested (72%) from our mobile VCT. Rural residents came for VCT when logistical barriers were removed. HIV prevalence among testers in some areas was high. Without extending HIV prevention efforts to population segments with less access to health care, the HIV problem in Thailand may re-emerge. Convenient and low-cost VCT may prove crucial for containing this HIV epidemic.Keywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- Removing Barriers to Knowing HIV StatusJAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2006
- Cost-Effectiveness of Screening for HIV in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral TherapyNew England Journal of Medicine, 2005
- Expanded Screening for HIV in the United States — An Analysis of Cost-EffectivenessNew England Journal of Medicine, 2005
- Profiles of HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing of Clients at a District Hospital, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, from 1995 to 1999JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2002
- Efficacy of voluntary HIV-1 counselling and testing in individuals and couples in Kenya, Tanzania, and Trinidad: a randomised trialPublished by Elsevier ,2000
- Gender differences in behavioural and psychosocial predictors of HIV testing and return for test results in a high-risk populationAIDS Care, 2000
- The acceptability of voluntary HIV antibody testing in the United States: a decade of lessons learnedAIDS, 1996