Couple VCT clients in Ethiopia: A heterogeneous HIV risk group

Abstract

Studies show reduced HIV risk behaviors after couple voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), either resulting from the couple counseling process or the type of people it attracts. A total of 1858 sexually active individual VCT clients in partnerships were compared to 866 sexually experienced couple VCT participants with multilevel logistic regression. Sexually experienced couple VCT clients were also compared to those couple VCT clients who never had sex. Among sexually experienced participants in partnerships, women, non-premarital testers, and those who felt at risk for HIV were less likely to attend couple VCT than individual VCT. Among couple VCT clients, sexually inexperienced individuals were more likely to be: testing for the first time, premarital testers, and more educated than those who were sexually experienced. Couple VCT's effectiveness might partly result from who it attracts. Addressing the diverse needs of a heterogeneous testing population is a programmatic challenge for couple VCT in Ethiopia.

Keywords:

• HIV/AIDS
• VCT
• couple
• Ethiopia

Acknowledgements

The Ethiopia VICS study received funding from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health.