What is Integrated and Counselling Testing Centre?
- An integrated counseling and testing center is a place where a person is counseled and tested for HIV, on his own free will or as advised by medical provider and convinced that the test is mandatory
- He / She is assured that the process will be confidential
- The main functions of an ICTC include:
- Early detection of HIV
- Provision of basic information on modes of transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS for promoting behavioural change and reducing vulnerability
- Link positive people with other HIV prevention, care and treatment services
- Follow up counselling
- Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT)
- Cross referrals – TB/STI/ART/TI-NGO/DIC/CCC etc
ELEMENTS OF HIV COUNSELLING
- A confidential dialogue
- An evaluation of personal risk of HIV transmission facilitation of preventive behavior.”
- To help them make a decision about whether or not to be tested
- To provide support and facilitated decision-making following testing.
Who needs to be tested in an ICTC
- It is not the mandate of an ICTC to Counsel and test everyone in the general population
- There are Subpopulation who are more vulnerable or practice high risk behavior.
- These sub – populations include sex workers and their clients, Men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender, injecting drug users (IDUs), Truckers, Migrant workers, spouses and children of man who are prone to risky behavior.
- HIV prevalence levels are typically higher among these sub populations than in the general populations
- Medical Providers also refer patients who have a history of risky behavior or have signs and symptoms suggestive of HIV/AIDS for Counseling and testing to an ICTC.
