HIV testing practices of Zimbabwean physicians and their perspectives on the future use of rapid on-site tests

Abstract

To improve HIV testing procedures, rapid on-site HIV tests have been introduced in Zimbabwe. At present, little is known about physicians' perspectives on the potential use of rapid tests in their clinics or about their current laboratory-based testing practices. In a sample of 63 general practitioners in Harare, this study found physicians were generally testing individuals, not couples, and an important reason for suggesting a patient be tested was medical symptoms; frequent reasons for patients requesting the test were insurance purposes, being about to get married or having suspicions about a partner. A primary deterrent to physicians testing patients, even when patients requested it, was fear of traumatizing them. Fifty-six per cent of the physicians believed rapid tests would increase the number of HIV tests they performed; significant associations were found between this belief and whether physicians ever chose not to test patients they suspected were HIV-positive (a positive association) and whether they chose not to test specifically out of fear that patients would commit suicide (a negative association). Prior to any expansion of testing with rapid tests, training in counselling and confidentiality measures is essential, given that over half the medical personnel providing counselling to these physicians' patients had received no training in pre- and post-test HIV counselling.