Behavioural Surveillance Surveys - The Wisdom of Whores

Adult Indicator 11
Population seeking voluntary
HIV tests
Definition
Numerator :
Number of respondents
who have ever voluntarily
requested an HIV test,
received the test and received
their results.
Denominator : Total number of respondents.
Measurement tools
Adult questionnaire
Q914, Q915, Q916
What it measures
The coverage of quality VCT services will
go a long way towards determining whether
those services achieve their three-fold aims of
providing an entry point for care and support,
promoting safe behavior and breaking the
vicious circle of silence and stigma.
This indicator aims to give an idea of the
reach of voluntary HIV testing services in
groups who represent different levels of risk
in the general population.
How to measure it
Respondents are asked whether they have
ever requested an HIV test, whether they were
tested and if so whether they have received
the results. Those having ever requested a test
and received the results form the numerator,
while the denominator is all respondents in
the survey.
The questionnaire prefaces the questions by
saying “ I do not want to know the results of
the test....”. In addition to having information
on the reach of VCT services in the populations
of interest over time, it will be useful also to
know the percentage of the population
surveyed who have been tested and received
the results in the last 12 months, a more
time-sensitive measure. To this end, a further
question is included about the approximate
date of the most recent test.
Strengths and limitations
The survey question specifies that the test
must have been requested by the respondent.
In many situations, people may assume that
their blood has been tested for HIV at some
time, and this is especially true in sub-populations
in which unlined anonymous HIV
surveillance takes place. These involuntary
tests, whether real or perceived, are excluded
in the calculation of this indicator. So are tests
made for diagnostic purposes without the
consent of the client, even if the client was
then told of the results. Such tests do not
reflect either the coverage of or the demand
for testing services ; nor do they take into
account that the measure emphasizes the
‘voluntary’ element desired for HIV tests. For
that reason, survey questions must specify that
the person requested a test.
B EHAV I OR A L S U R V EI L L A NC E SURV EY S CHAPTER 9
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