Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) sessions and examples

VCT for HIV usually involves two counseling sessions: one prior test known as "pre-test counseling" and one following the test when the results are given, often referred to as "post-test counseling". Counseling focuses on the infection (HIV), the disease (AIDS), the test, and positive behavior change.

VCT has become popular in many parts of Africa as a way for a person to learn their HIV status. VCT centres and counselors often use rapid HIV tests that require a drop of blood or some cells from the inside of one's cheek. The tests are cheap, require minimal training, and provide accurate results in about 15 minutes

Until recently, the primary model for providing HIV testing and counseling has been client-initiated HIV testing and counseling - also known as voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) - in which individuals must actively seek an HIV test at a health or community-based facility. But uptake of client-initiated HIV testing and counseling has been limited by low coverage of services, fear of stigma and discrimination, and the perception by many people - even in high prevalence areas - that they are not at risk.

Many people are taking a HIV test on a regular basis now. Women and men-from young to old- go to the VCT office every three month because the HI-Virus needs up to this time psan to be detectable in the blood. The process is quite fast and easy to undergo. People come without an appointment to a place that offers VCT and after a short period of waiting they are being taken to a seperate room and the counseling starts. The testing itself takes a couple of minutes and the results of the first test (depending on the outcome of this test two additional tests can be taken) takes about ten minutes.

To secure that the testing stays anonymous, tested people don’t use their names but a number or letter code like the name of their mother. These codes are important for the statistics to see how many people use the VCT. It also helps to find older results when people come more often to use the VCT. But it is not a must to use the same VCT place for testing. Actually a lot of people change the VCT setting very often.

Sadly it is not possible for some people to participate in such an important development. Deaf people haven’t had the chance to use a VCT office for a very long time.