Psychosocial counseling when testing for human immunodeficiency virus: what to focus on?

Introduction. Voluntary anonymous HIV counseling and testing can be an effective tool to reduce the behavior that has high risks of HIV, hepatitis C (HCV) and B (HBV) transmission. The dissemination of general information on HIV, HCV, HBV to reduce risky behavior is not as much of importance as counseling on specific individual infection-related sexual risk behavior. The objective was to identify HIV/HCV/HBV-related risk factors that have to be discussed during psychosocial counseling
to help the individual to focus on his/her sexual risk behavior.

Methods and materials. The study was conducted on the base of Saint-Petersburg Center for Control of AIDS with participation of 90 individuals who voluntary applied for HIV counseling and testing. Participants’ behavioral risks and HIV knowledge were assessed by the specifically developed structured questionnaire. The level of anxiety was measured by State-Train Anxiety Inventory (STAI adapted by Hanin), the level of need for extreme-risk behavior was measured by the Sensation Seeking Scale (Zuckerman).

Results. Only 50 % of participants use condom with their steady sexual partner always or almost always. In 62 % cases, the steady sexual partner’s HIV-status is unknown. Many participants agree that HIV transmission occurs always after sexual contact with HIV-infected person. The level of situational anxiety is higher by those who do HIV testing repeatedly. Those who are more likely to seek new sensations use condom with their steady or other partner more often.

Conclusion. Motivational intervention during pre- and post-counseling by HIV/HCV/HBV testing has to focus on the discussion of individual difficulties of condom use as the means for protection and on the individual’s resources for changing sexual behavior to protect him/her-self and his/her partner from infection with HIV and viral hepatitis.

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