Clients' Perception of Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services the Case of Arada Sub City, Addis Ababa
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is a valuable component oj a
compreh<='l1sive HIV/ AIDS preve ntion program and an effective method oj
changing behavior. As there is no cure Jor HIV/ AIDS, VCT remains a key
s trategy to control the spread oj HIV and to provide support to those who
are pos itive . I-lowever, very little work has been done to improve the
(wailability and quality oj the service. Moreover, although many people in
"th iopio do not know they are injected, up to now only a small percentage
o( those lVith I-l[V/ AIDS have had access to relioble Voluntary Counseling
alld Tes ting services. This research is done to assess clients' perception oj
VCT s e rvices, to explore clients' perceptions regarding VCT services
{/tt.elldall ce, 10 identify clients' expectations oj VCT services, to assess
I)orriers to VCT service, to assess the structure, resourcefulness and
{/r/"CfllCiCY oj the inJormation given in VCT services compared 10 clients '
needs Cllld 10 s ugges t adequate intervention mechanisms to change the
pe rcepl ion oj clients. A cross s ectional survey was carried out using a
qlles tionnaire adopted Jrom UNA [DS. The study was conducted in Arado
Sub City. Addis Ababa Jrom March to April 2007. All the VCT centers Jound
in the sub city, both govemmental and private were included in the study.
There were 19 VCT centers (7 govemmental and 72 private) in the sub city.
Us ing Purposive RCindom Sampling Technique, 70 Jrom each VCT center
w td CI IOtal oj 190 clients were selected and participated in the s tud y . The
Clnalysis Jrom the data revealed that most oj the clients have p ositive
Clltitucle towarcls the counseling service. [n most VCT centers, there is
adeqllCile space Jor privacy, but inadequate waiting area was common Jor
most 0)' them. Shol1age oj time allotted Jor the counseling sessions, and
lack 0)' ),ollow up arrangement and inadequate reJerral system were the
other common problems that clients were Jacing during their VCT service
atlendclIlce. The study has suggested ways oj improving the services:
Th e re s hould be oclequate woiting area; A reJerral system, data base and
lI etworking system must be urgently estoblished; Counseling sessions
need to be monitored that they are oj adequate enough; EJJorts must be
( 10 11 (' /() el1 S lIre aJJordoble o('ces s to VCT services in publi(' (ll1ei j)riVClte
;.;('ttill(} s : As we ll as making people aware oj the importance o( vcr is
ill /portclIll in increasing the number 0)' people seeking VCT and in tum is
(Til C/CI t(or controlling the spread of I-lIII/ AfDS.
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Keywords
Clients' Perception of Voluntary Counseling, and Testing Services