Horizons | Research Summary| HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing: An Essential Component in Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

RESEARCH SUMMARY

December 2003

HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing:
An Essential Component in Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission

PMTCT Counseling and Testing Services

HIV counseling is routinely offered to all ANC clinic attendees at the study sites in order to maximize the opportunities to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. The VCT process aims to equip pregnant women with information and support to enable them to make decisions that will favor a healthy pregnancy and delivery, as well as to prevent sexual transmission of HIV. Each of the sites has allocated staff and space for education and counseling on sexual risk reduction and PMTCT. Designated health workers who have been trained to provide counseling at the sites include staff working in MCH clinics (e.g., antenatal care, family planning, and pediatric services) and in labor, maternity, and pediatric hospital wards.

Education and counseling activities at the study sites include:

Clinic-based education sessions on HIV prevention and PMTCT provided to groups of women waiting for services.
Individual pre-test counseling that specifically focuses on providing information about the HIV test and its implications for the woman and her family, and on clearing up myths and misinformation. Should a woman opt to be tested, HIV testing can be done the same day and results given during an individual post-test counseling session, usually scheduled for a different day.
Individual post-test counseling that focuses on both cognitive and emotional understanding of the results helps the client cope with immediate reactions and addresses disclosure of HIV test results to partners and others. Ongoing risk reduction for both HIV-negative and -positive women is also addressed.

Women who receive an HIV-positive test result are helped to examine and absorb the wider implications of the results, including social and economic aspects of their lives and discussion of PMTCT options. The aim is to enable HIV-positive mothers to decide how to reduce the chances of infecting their infants and to examine options to meet future care and support needs. Women who receive an HIV-negative test result receive counseling to help them develop individualized risk-reduction strategies and to reinforce the benefits of breastfeeding. Further counseling is provided during subsequent ANC and postnatal visits to support adherence to intentions discussed during post-test counseling.

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