Document 2585
 DOCN  M94A2585
 TI    The public response to a free service for HIV antibody screening and
       counselling.
 DT    9412
 AU    Biryahwaho B; Tugume B; Turyaguma P; Virus Research Institute, Entebbe,
       Uganda.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):270 (abstract no. PB0510). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94369990
 AB    BACKGROUND: The government of Uganda declared an AIDS epidemic in the
       country in 1986. Non-fee paying HIV antibody screening and counselling
       was established at UVRI in the same year. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the
       impact of a free, voluntary service for HIV antibody screening and
       counselling. METHODS: 2661 persons who attended the institute clinic
       during 1993 were offered HIV serological testing on request. Demographic
       information was collected by questionnaire. A blood sample was taken
       with informed consent after pre-test counselling. Subjects were asked to
       return after 2 weeks for post-test counselling. Specimens were tested by
       Recombigen HIV-1 EIA (Cambridge Biotech, USA) and Wellcozyme HIV
       Recombinant EIA (Murex, UK) with Immuno-Blotting (Cambridge Biotech,
       USA) as necessary. Impact was measured simply by the return rate for
       participants. RESULTS: 2661 persons visited the clinic with the
       intention of taking a test for antibodies against HIV and 2654/2661
       (99.7%) gave a blood sample after counselling. Overall 628/2654 (23.7%)
       persons were seropositive, (285/1472 [19.4%] males and 339/1173 [28.9%]
       females; sex was not recorded for 9 persons). Peak attendance was in the
       20-29 age group for both males, (839/1472 [57.0%]) and females (657/1173
       [56.0%]). Seropositivity was highest (28.6%) in the 30-39 age group for
       males and equally high (34.1%) in the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups for
       females. The overall return rate for post-test counselling was 49.3%;
       1037/1999 (51.9%) for seronegative persons and 270/628 (43.0%) for
       seropositive persons. CONCLUSIONS: The wish to know their HIV infection
       status is not sustained in 50% of persons presenting for this service. A
       number of factors including transport costs, loss of earnings and
       anxiety may account for poor return rates and hence loss of impact of
       the service. A strong case can be made for completing testing and
       counselling on the same visit through the introduction of rapid HIV
       testing algorithms.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*PREVENTION &  CONTROL
       Adult  *AIDS Serodiagnosis  *Counseling  Cross-Sectional Studies
       *Developing Countries  Female  Human  HIV Seropositivity/*EPIDEMIOLOGY
       Incidence  Male  *Mass Screening  *Patient Acceptance of Health Care
       Uganda/EPIDEMIOLOGY  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).