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Attitudes Toward Couples-Based HIV Counseling and Testing Among MSM in Cape Town, South Africa

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Abstract

Couples-based voluntary HIV counseling and testing (CVCT) allows couples to receive their HIV test results together and has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing HIV transmission, increasing and sustaining condom use, and reducing sexual risk-taking among at-risk heterosexual couples. However, the acceptability of CVCT among MSM has yet to be evaluated in an African setting. The results from seven focus group discussions and 29 in-depth interviews conducted in Cape Town, South Africa exhibit overwhelmingly high acceptance of CVCT. Participants were attracted to the counseling components of the service, stating that these would allow for the couple to increase their commitment and to explore methods of how to effectively reduce their risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV in the presence of a trained counselor. These results suggest CVCT would be highly welcomed and could work to fill the significant lack of services available and accessible to MSM couples in Cape Town.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, #7025, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Rob Stephenson, Christopher Rentsch & Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Christopher Rentsch & Patrick Sullivan

  3. Anova Health Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Geoff Jobson, Helen Struthers & James McIntyre

  4. Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Helen Struthers

  5. School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    James McIntyre

Authors
  1. Rob Stephenson
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  2. Christopher Rentsch
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  3. Patrick Sullivan
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  4. Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud
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  5. Geoff Jobson
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  6. Helen Struthers
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  7. James McIntyre
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Correspondence to Rob Stephenson.

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Stephenson, R., Rentsch, C., Sullivan, P. et al. Attitudes Toward Couples-Based HIV Counseling and Testing Among MSM in Cape Town, South Africa. AIDS Behav 17 (Suppl 1), 43–50 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0293-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0293-z

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