Issues paper on HIV testing and counselling and 'most at risk' populations

[Guest guest]

I have been asked by UNAIDS to write an Issues Paper/Literature

Review on the impact of the current HIV Testing and Counselling

policy and practice in countries in Asia and the Pacific. It focuses

especially on the experience of MSM, sex workers and their clients,

injecting drug users – the most at risk populations in the region.

But it also will extend to include PLWHA, women, children and

adolescents.

The paper will inform a regional consultation on the proposal from

WHO and UNAIDS to develop a new HIV Testing and Counselling policy

and guidelines. These propose a significant role for Provider

Initiated Testing and Counselling [PITC].

Under PITC the Health Care Worker has a stronger role in recommending

or telling the patient that they should be tested for HIV. The

circumstances in which this would occur vary and are affected by a

range of factors, including an assessment of local epidemiological

and social contexts.

PITC represents a significant change in HIV Testing and Counselling

policy from the previous emphasis on Voluntary Counselling and

Testing.

I need information about the experiences of members of the above

groups with the current HIV Testing and Counselling policy and

practice. This can centre upon their knowledge, experiences and

attitudes about testing and counselling. But it can also include

their issues regarding the health system in general, and broader

issues of stigma, discrimination, health and information seeking etc –

all the factors that might affect how these people see and use HIV

testing and counselling.

Hopefully my paper can cover a broad and diverse range of issues that

people from these populations currently experience regarding HIV

testing and counselling – the benefits and the weaknesses. This can

be used to help develop suitable testing and counselling policies and

guidelines for the region and at national level.

I need to collect a range of material – peer-reviewed and non-peer

reviewed papers, project reports, conference and meeting

presentations, and personal testimonies.

So I am asking for your help. Please send me things that you think

would help me – papers, articles, reports, and documents. Or tell me

the name and contact details of people that are doing work that you

think I should know about.

I can be contacted at billol@...

A copy of the proposed WHO/UNAIDS draft policy and guidelines can be

found at

http://www.who.int/hiv/topics/vct/publicreview/en/

Thank you for your help

Bill O'Loughlin

e-mail: <billol@...>