Attitudes of patients towards voluntary human immunodeficiency virus counselling and testing in two Nigerian tertiary hospitals.
BACKGROUND
Despite new scientific evidence establishing the benefits of counselling and testing as key elements in human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) prevention strategy, inappropriate HIV screening without consent and counselling is frequent in Africa. Presumed high rejection rate of HIV test has been adduced to this practice.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the acceptability of HIV conselling and testing among Nigerians.


METHODS
Consecutive sixty indigenous Nigerians aged 35.10+/-11.31 years with male: female ratio of 2:1, and made of clients with clinically suspected AIDS (20), diseases unrelated to AIDS (15), dermatological problems (10), sexually transmitted diseases (9), and asymptomatic persons (6) were studied.


RESULTS
Fifty-three (88.3%) subjects gave informed consent to HIV screening. Of the 53 consenters, 32 (60.4%) were seropositive while 21 (39.6%) were seronegative. Five clients (9.4%) (1seropositive + 4 seronegative consenters) did not turn up for their results, and 2 (3.8%) seronegative consenters did not want to know their serostatus. The reactions to disclosure of seropositive results included grief 9 (28.1 %), indifference 8 (25 %), surprise 5 (15.6%), family concern 5 (15.6%), denial 3 (9.4%) and suicidal ideation 2 (6.3%). Thirteen (40.6%) seropositive clients showed willingness to disclosure of their serostatus to family members including the father (58%), senior brother (23%), wife (11%) and others (8%). Direct cost of screening was N400.00 (U$3.10) per client. An average of 18 minutes per client was spent on counselling.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the feasibility of VCT in Nigerian hospitals.
Department of Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria. sisezuo@skannet.com
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D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D004180:Direct Service Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D035141:Voluntary Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data