AEGiS-15IAC: Evaluation of LineAyuda, a telephone counseling service in STDs/HIV/AIDS.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Evaluation of LineAyuda, a telephone counseling service in STDs/HIV/AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. E10038)

Aragones Lopez C, Gonzalez Ochoa E, Sanchez Valdes L, de Armas Perez L, Chacon Asusta L, Ochoa Soto R
Institute of Tropical Medicine , Havana, Cuba

Introduction: The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a problem for the humanity. Cuba that has a small incidence, has diagnosed more than 5000 people since 1986, and the cases of STDs reaffirm the existence of risk behaviors. An outstanding prevention project is LineAyuda, a telephone counseling service. It was vital to evaluate it after 4 years of experience, in order to know how its popularization has been done and if the clients feel satisfied with its work.

METHODS: We evaluated the information obtained from registration of calls from 1998 to 2000, and the one obtained from a telephone survey to feigned clients from Havana City. For the telephone survey, the universe of study was constituted by the population of the city that has within its reach a telephone. For the analysis of calls registered by the service, the universe of study was constituted by 100% of them. It was done the analysis of frequencies of different variables and comparisons between them.

RESULTS: 1653 surveys were achieved. Of them, 1117 (67,6%) correspond to people between 15 and 50 years old, and 1063 (64,31%) to female sex. The survey reached a answer rate of 91,55% and 94,98% of the interviews were completed. The knowledge about the existence of the service and its phone number is bad, and its promotion through the media and health personnel is not enough. Most (99,54%) of the clients of the service felt satisfied with it.

CONCLUSIONS: The answer rate and the completing index can be considered excellent. Only few people know about the service, so its promotion should be increased. The wide reach of our health system could be an important element in the popularization of the service. The great majority of people that have within its reach a telephone in Havana City doesn't know the service, and those that know it, don't know or don't remember its phone number. The phone survey is a good method for obtaining information in Havana City. The clients of the service are very satisfied with its work.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV, HIV Seropositivity, Telephone, Counseling, HIV Infections, Data Collection, Research, Interviews, HIV-1, Incidence, Cuba, Humans, Female, prevention & control, organization & administration, methods, therapy

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