AEGiS-15IAC: Motivations and barriers to mobile HIV voluntary counseling and testing in rural areas, Northern Thailand.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Motivations and barriers to mobile HIV voluntary counseling and testing in rural areas, Northern Thailand.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. TuOrC1195)

Visrutaratna S, Sripaipan T, Kawichai S, Chariyalertsak S, Ruangyuttikarn C, Beyrer C, Short O, Inchum W, Celentano DD
Chiang Mai Public Health Office, Thai Ministry of Public Health, Chiang Mai, Thailand

BACKGROUND: HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) has been a main strategy for preventing HIV transmission and widely available in Thailand since 1992. We conducted a pilot study that provided mobile VCT to rural residents of four districts in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand to inform our design of this type of behavior change intervention at the community level.

METHODS: Mobile VCT units provided free VCT services using rapid HIV testing, with results available in the same day, to the communities. In-depth interviews were conducted among village leaders, people who came for testing (testers) and people who were not tested (non-testers) to identify motivations, barriers, and attitudes to mobile VCT. The data was coded and emerging patterns and themes were assessed.

RESULTS: A sample of 31 village leaders, 54 testers, and 43 non-testers completed the in-depth interviews. The general community attitudes towards the mobile VCT services were extremely positive. The mobile VCT was consistently seen as a very good thing by all three groups, but especially so by the village leaders. Main motivations testers identified for seeking VCT included: a high self-perceived risk of HIV; being unsure of their sexual partner's history; the convenience of the mobile unit; and the free cost. Those unsure of their sexual partner's history generally never came for testing with their partner and did not seem to differ by gender. Barriers to testing made up two main non-tester groups: those with time conflicts because of work and those with a very low perceived risk of HIV. Having already been tested and a fear of testing positive also influenced non-testers' decisions, while fear of stigma was less common a factor. Conclusion Attitudes of village leaders and motivations of testers indicate high acceptability of the VCT mobile units for HIV prevention in northern Thailand. Barriers such as time conflicts and fear of testing positive may be overcome by providing the service during weekends and holidays and more frequent HIV education.

Keywords: AEGIS, Counseling, Thailand, HIV, Risk-Taking, HIV Infections, Research Design, Motivation, Sexual Partners, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Seroprevalence, Interviews, prevention & control, organization & administration

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TuOrC1195