Community Mobilization, Mobile Testing, Same-Day Results, and Post-Test Support for HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa and Thailand

"COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION. This component of the intervention uses community outreach to enhance the uptake of VCT, thus increasing the rate of HIV testing and frequency of discussions about HIV and reducing stigma through community education and mobilization.~EASY ACCESS TO VCT. This component is designed to remove practical barriers and increase safety of VCT. Mobile vans or temporary units set up at local community sites will provide free, anonymous VCT in specific, chosen sites where people gather, such as market areas, shopping centers, and community centers.~POST-TEST SUPPORT SERVICES. This component is designed to build psychosocial support to improve the quality of life for individuals diagnosed with HIV. The expected outcomes include a reduction in social harm, an increase in social support through disclosure to those most likely to provide support, and a reduction in internalized stigma. Social support should also decrease the behavioral risk of further transmission."

Control communities will receive Standard Clinic-Based VCT (SVCT) instead of the community-based VCT (CBVCT) intervention. Each of these communities will have access to SVCT that reflects local access to health care. The training for VCT counselors will be the same in the CBVCT and SVCT communities; however, no active recruitment for participation in the SVCT services will be made beyond the standard procedures of each clinic for informing patients of services (e.g., telling individual patients that VCT is available, posting of a flyer in the clinic announcing VCT availability, etc). As such, no active outreach or community mobilization will be conducted by the study staff in the SVCT settings (although it is possible that such activities will occur due to local initiative).