HIV/AIDS Counseling Services – A Review of Literature

Abstract

AIDS is considered as having inflicted the single greatest reversal in human development. HIV counseling – and - testing services (VCT) services are considered as a gateway to HIV prevention, care and treatment, by increasing the preparedness of the community as a whole for effective living with HIV. The scope and challenges of VCT has changed a lot over the past decade from the time when it was being primarily used to make a diagnosis of infection in symptomatic people to help medical management, and testing was often accompanied by minimal counseling. The development of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for people with HIV, less costly interventions to reduce the incidence of HIV- associated infections (such as tuberculosis preventive therapy and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and relatively cheap and feasible methods to prevent PTCT have made the need to promote VCT for people with asymptomatic disease more compelling.