WHAT IS VCT?
Voluntary counselling and testing is to want to know your HIV status. This
means to be tested for HIV by a blood test.
WHY DO I NEED TO KNOW MY STATUS?
To know that you are HIV negative means that you do not carry the HI virus
in your blood. This also means that you can enter a sexual relationship with
the knowledge that there is no risk of infecting your sexual partner. It
also inspires you to stay HIV negative. It is important to know your
partner's HIV status as well. It is good to discuss these matters openly
before you start any intimate relationship.
To know that you are HIV positive means that you do have the HI virus in
your body. This means that there is a risk of transmitting the virus to
someone else through contact with your blood, sexual fluids or to a baby at
birth or through breastmilk. By knowing your HIV status, you can thus
prevent that this virus is spread to anyone else close to you.
Sometimes there might be clinical signs that can serve as a wake-up call to
go for a HIV test. However, it is not recommended to wait until you have any
specific signs or symptoms in order to go for a test. By the time that you
experience symptoms you might be infected with HIV for a long time, i.e.
anything from 2 months to 5 or 6 years. Signs that can serve as an indicator
of possible HIV infection, can be the same as for many other illnesses.
Common signs and symptoms can be the following:
fever, nightsweats, swollen glands, itchy skin, running tummy, shingles,
coughing, thrush in the mouth or vagina, sores on the lips and in the mouth,
pneumonia etc. These symptoms are often an indication that there is
something wrong with your immune system. The immune system can suffer from
any illness; but it can also be from HIV infection. In fact, we know that
the HI-virus attacks the immune system, which results then in the body being
an open target for infections and illnesses.
WHY DO I NEED TO HAVE PRE- AND POST- TEST COUNSELLING?
Quite often people think that they do not need counselling before a HIV
test. What is counselling? Why counselling? they might ask. They even become
annoyed by the mere word 'counselling'. It is an opportunity to discuss the
testing procedure, to explore the risks, and to ask questions. I once had a
client who said that he is sure he will test negative for the HI virus. My
response was: "If you are sure that you are HIV negative, then you do not
need to test". We discussed risks of HIV infection, what if....., when to
take the test and be sure that the results will be a true reflection of your
HIV status. A HIV test is in fact a test for antibodies of the HI virus.
The 'window period' refers to the period between the point of infection and
the time where the immune system has had enough time to develop antibodies
so that the HIV test detects the antibodies. These tests can be Elisa or
"rapid" tests. Elisa tests are blood taken and send away to a laboratory,
whereas rapid tests are done through taking blood by pricking the finger.
The results will be ready within 15-20 minutes. All tests are done by a
registered nurse or a doctor.
WHAT IS POST TEST COUNSELLING? (THIS IS PART OF VCT)
When a person tests HIV negative it is recommended that the results are
given by a counsellor. This is an opportunity to discuss prevention of HIV
and how to stay negative. The person might need a referral to a medical
doctor or registered nurse for further treatment. Treatment for sexual
transmitted infections is very important in order to prevent HIV.
When a person tests HIV positive it is traumatic. Even if the person was
aware of the possibility of a positive result, it is still a shock. There
are numerous issues to discuss and they might differ from person to person.
The most common matters are who to tell, what to do now, what is going to
happen, etc. As HIV is not necessarily an acute illness, there is so much to
know about the illness that it needs a number of sessions to cover every
topic. Also see
Article compiled by Sofia Louw
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