Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Thailand's first anonymous alternative test site: a lesson for Asian countries.
Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24;8(1):Mo17 (abstract no. MoC 0061). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA8/92400021 Phanuphak P; Sittitrai W; Barry J; Sarang-Bin S; Hanvanich M; Program on AIDS, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok.
Abstract:
ISSUE: People at risk for HIV infection often hesitate to take an anti-HIV test for fear of social stigmatization should test results turn out to be positive. Thus, many HIV infected persons remain undetected and spread the infection unknowingly. In some cases, people resort to the less threatening strategy of donating blood aware that, should they be HIV positive, they will be notified by the receiving agency. In order to cope with this situation the Thai Red Cross Society (TRCS) established an Anonymous Testing Center in July 1991. THE PROJECT: Facilities for HIV testing and counseling were set up on the grounds of the TRCS under the name Anonymous Clinic (AC) in the center of Bangkok, next to Chulalongkorn University. The staff includes medical doctors, psychologists, technicians, and volunteer counselors. Potential counselors were recruited mainly from the TRCS personnel and were given extensive training for HIV counseling. Exemption of case reporting according to the Infectious Disease Act was granted by the Ministry of Public Health. The cooperation of the mass media was enlisted to publicize the activities of the AC. To minimize stigmatization, the AC offers other health services such as testing for hepatitis B and syphilis. Clients attending the AC are asked to answer anonymously a questionnaire for demographic data and for attitudes and behaviors related to AIDS. Such data are used for research on trends of risk behaviors and for improving services. RESULTS: During the first six months of operation 5.347 clients attended the AC. HIV infection prevalence was 10%. The majority of the seropositive clients were promiscuous heterosexual males followed by married women aware of the extra-marital activities of their husbands. The need for such anonymous testing services has expanded to almost every province in Thailand. The Ministry of Public Health had to repeal the law requiring official reporting of HIV infections. The TRCS is now providing monthly workshops to train personnel from provincial hospitals on how to set up and operate anonymous HIV testing and counseling clinics. LESSONS LEARNED: Anonymous HIV counseling and testing has been received with an overwhelming response in Thailand. This seems to be an approach quite appropriate for countries where the incidence of HIV infection is rising rapidly. Success in operating such a program requires concerted planning and efforts. The experience of Thailand could well serve other countries with problems and cultures similar to Thailand.
Keywords: *AIDS Serodiagnosis/PSYCHOLOGY/UTILIZATION *Civil Rights Counseling Female Human HIV Infections/DIAGNOSIS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY *HIV Seroprevalence Male Mass Screening/*ORGANIZATION & ADMIN/PSYCHOLOGY/UTILIZATION Questionnaires Red Cross Sexual Partners Thailand/EPIDEMIOLOGY ABSTRACT 921230
M92C5326
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
