title: Voluntary HIV counseling and testing service in Northwest Ethiopia: the cases of counselor's perception, client's satisfaction, and in-service observations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Voluntary HIV counseling and testing allows individuals to know their HIV status and serve as a key strategy entry point to prevention, treatment, care and support services. Voluntary counselling and HIV testing have become an increasingly important area of HIV prevention and care in Ethiopia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the current Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) service in Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia in terms of physical facilities, client's satisfaction on VCT services and counselor's perception.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was conducted in 37 VCT centers. A total of 45 counselors and 222 VCT clients who came to get VCT services participated in the study. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information on the physical facilities, client's satisfaction and counselor's perception on the services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All VCT service delivery rooms were small in size and more than half of the VCT rooms were poorly ventilated. None of them had behavior change communication (BCC) or information education and communication (IEC) materials for teaching clients. Most counselors thought that they had not received in-service training supervision and support. Clients with high educational status were less willing to get VCT Though clients were dissatisfied with the physical facilities of the VCT centers, they also expressed feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment during counseling. Thirteen of the counselors were community counselors. The most important reason for seeking VCT services were found to be fear of being exposed for HIV infection. Females were more likely to be motivated of perception of own high risk sexual behaviour than males (P value = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physical facilities and VCT procedures in many of the VCT centers were below satisfactory. A large number of people visit VCT despite the poor facilities and procedures in most VCT centers. This study augmented information to the literature on motivation for HIV testing and introduction of community counsellors in Ethiopia. However, to provide good quality VCT service, accessible physical facilities and VCT procedures need to be improved
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.
authors: Fantahun
authors: F
authors: Biadglegne
authors: Belay
authors: B
authors: Anagaw
authors: Belay
authors: B
authors: Tessema
authors: Aseffa
authors: A
authors: Getachew
authors: Gashaw
authors: G
authors: Andargie
authors: Bayeh
authors: B
authors: Abera
authors: Yeshambel
authors: Y
authors: Belyhun
authors: Andargachew
authors: A
authors: Mulu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035141:Voluntary Programs / Q000458:organization & administration