A study on the Sociodemographic Profile of
the Attendees at the Integrated Counselling
and Testing Centre of a Medical College
in Southern India
430-433
Correspondence
Chennaveerappa PK, Assistant Professor, Dept of Pulmonary
Medicine, Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hassan-573
201, Karnataka
Email: drchennamd@yahoo.com, Mobile No: 09480303972
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) counselling and testing services are a key entry point to the prevention of HIV infection and to the treatment and care of the people who are infected with HIV. The integrated counselling and testing centre (ICTC) services are a cost effective intervention in the prevention of HIV/ AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
To study the socio demographic characteristics and the risky behaviour pattern of the attendees at the ICTC centre.
The ICTC at the Sri Chamarajendra Hospital which is attached to the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Hassan, Karnataka.
A cross sectional, record based study.
The study population included 9327 clients who attended the ICTC centres from January 2009 to December 2010.
An overall 10.13% of the ICTC attendees were HIV seropositive subjects. About 78.6% of the HIV seropositive subjects belonged to the age group of 15-49 years. 63% of the males and 72% of the females among the HIV seropositive subjects were married; 45.1% of the female seropositive subjects were illiterate. Among the male seropositive subjects, 30% were unskilled and 12.3% were drivers. An overall 67% of the HIV seropositive subjects were from rural areas. The most common mode of transmission was having multiple heterosexual partners.
People’s attitudes towards HIV is changing after the introduction of the ICTC, which plays a major role in the primary and secondary prevention of HIV. There is a more urgent need for the introduction of interventional measures like sex education and preventive education among the general population.