Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development
  • Year: 2013
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 2

Profile of Attendees for Voluntary Counselling and Testing in the VCTC, Tirupati, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh

Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College, Siruvachur, Perambaluru (District), Tamil Nadu.

Online published on 16 May, 2013.

Abstract

The growing menace created by the HIV/AIDS has alarmed not only the public health officials but also the general community. The Voluntary Counseling and Testing centre remodeled as Integrated Counseling and testing Centres are reversing the epidemic.

To identify the socio-demographic profiles, HIV sero-status and risk behavior pattern of the attendees in the VCTC attached to a Medical College Hospital in Tirupati, A.P.

Cross-sectional observational study.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre attached to Microbiology Department of the Medical College, Tirupati.

All the VCTC attendees between January 2011 and March 2011 were included in the study

Age, sex, marital status, level of education, occupation, place of residence, HIV sero-status, pattern of risk behavior in relation to HIV/AIDS and the person referring.

Proportions and chi-square test.

It was found that out of 2863 individuals, 11.4% were sero-positives. Sero-positivity was high in 20-49 years age group (79.4%), illiterates (45.8%), unskilled workers (39.1%), rural areas (60.3%) and married (71.7%) individuals.

Keywords

Integrated Counseling Testing Centres, Voluntary Counseling and Testing Attendees, HIV Sero Status, Socio-Demographic Profile