AEGiS-15IAC: Creating demand for voluntary testing and counseling: A multi-country examination of social marketing programs for VCT.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Creating demand for voluntary testing and counseling: A multi-country examination of social marketing programs for VCT.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WeOrD1255)

Richter K, England S
Population Services International, Washington DC, United States

BACKGROUND: Voluntary testing and counseling (VCT) is a proven HIV prevention intervention as well as a key entry point into care and support services. This study presents multi-country data on the motivations for and barriers to seeking VCT drawn from social marketing programs and examines the strategies that social marketing (SM) programs have used for effective behavior change communication (BCC).

METHODS: Population Services International (PSI) implements VCT programs in sixteen countries in Africa and Asia, including Mali, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and India. Three types of data are used to investigate this issue. Qualitative research examines motivations and perceived barriers to use of VCT services to inform the creation of effective BCC campaigns. Population-based surveys investigate public perceptions of VCT over time. Finally, clinic-based data from VCT clients provide sources of information and reasons for seeking VCT.

RESULTS: Motivations for seeking VCT services include key life events, concern about past behavior or a partner's behavior, and death of a partner. However, stigma surrounding HIV testing, fear of a positive result, and concerns about confidentiality were major barriers to seeking VCT in all countries studied. Multi-round population-based surveys from Zambia and Zimbabwe, however, show that stigma around VCT has lessened over time with the introduction of mass media based BCC campaigns focusing on perceived benefits, and that an increasing percentage see the benefits of VCT and believe that VCT centers preserve confidentiality. VCT client intake data show that social marketing campaigns using mass media are a key source of information for those seeking VCT services. In particular, these campaigns have attracted at-risk young people and couples who can most benefit from HIV prevention counseling.

CONCLUSIONS: The results from this multi-country study support the hypothesis that social marketing programs using mass media and focusing on the positive benefits of VCT are an effective means of promoting VCT services.

Keywords: AEGIS, Counseling, Social Marketing, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Research Design, HIV, Social Welfare, Sexual Behavior, Confidentiality, HIV Seroprevalence, Behavior, Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Mali, Asia, India, Humans, prevention & control, organization & administration, therapy

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