Understanding the behavioral and social characteristics of VCT clients in a Shanghai hospital, China

Abstract

We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a hospital in Shanghai, China, to investigate the demographic and behavioral characteristics of clients seeking voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT). There were 1251 clients who participated in this study. The overall HIV seroprevalence among the clients was 4.96%. Among the study participants, 52.4% were aged 21-30 years, 77.9% were male, 53.5% were married, and 67.4% had attained the level of college education. People older than 30 years and those educated to below college level were more likely to be infected (P=0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Most participants (83%) were motivated by sexual risk followed by blood transmission risk (9.6%). The HIV seroprevalences in these populations with risk of HIV transmission via sex and blood were 4.8% and 10%, respectively. People with prior VCT were more likely to be infected (P=0.001). These results indicate: (1) targeted intervention is needed to promote VCT uptake among people older than 30 years and educated to below college level; (2) VCT should be provided more frequently to people with a risk of blood transmission because of the high infection rate in this population; and (3) a negative test result may be a serious unintended consequence of VCT. Therefore, post-education emphasized on safer sex practices is needed.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding HIV among first time attenders of voluntary counseling and testing services in Italy

“…Very few surveys have evaluated the level of knowledge, the attitudes, and the practices towards VCT among individuals who accessed these services [7-10], seemingly studies have not been done to explore similar questions in Italy. Thus, there is a need for additional studies because an understanding of these topics is crucial for the development of interventions for the disease control, since misconceptions may contribute to prevent individuals from making right choices, decisions, and taking appropriate prevention strategies.…”

Factors Enabling Access to HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing for Key Affected Populations in Thailand

“…These findings are consistent with studies in many other countries, namely, that perceived self-risk, receiving good information, and motivation to seek VCT will increase utilization of VCT services in higher risk populations. 7,19,20,21…”

“…These findings are consistent with studies in many other countries, namely, that perceived self-risk, receiving good information, and motivation to seek VCT will increase utilization of VCT services in higher risk populations. 7,19,20,21 In Thailand at present, AIDS mortality continues to decline due to the widespread coverage of affordable ART in conjunction with the campaign to promote free VCT testing twice a year to detect infection before symptoms develop. 22 Knowing one is infected is the first step in prevention and proper treatment.…”

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Relative Efficacy of Enhanced Versus Standard Voluntary Counseling and Testing on Promoting Condom Use among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China

“…It usually emphasizes on dissemination of HIV-related knowledge [23], which may not be sufficient to induce behavioral changes [24]. A survey conducted in Shanghai even showed that a prior experience of taking up VCT was associated with a higher likelihood of HIV transmission [25]. A review of 27 VCT-related studies concluded that VCT should be backed up by some theory-driven frameworks [26], such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Stages of Change Model [27,28], which have widely been used to predict condom use among MSM [29,30].…”