Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey ... - Measure DHS

voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) sites across the country and encourages their use by thegeneral population. To assess the awareness and coverage of HIV testing services, THMISrespondents were asked whether they had ever been tested for HIV. If they said that they had beentested, respondents were asked when they were most recently tested, whether they had received theresults of their last test, and where they had been tested. If they had never been tested, they were askedif they knew a place where they could go to be tested.As shown in Tables 7.5.1 and 7.5.2, the vast majority of Tanzanian adults know where to getVCT. Eighty-one percent of women and 86 percent of men said they know where to get an HIV test.However, most people in the country have not been tested and consequently do not know theirHIV status. As shown in Tables 7.5.1 and 7.5.2, only 37 percent of women and 27 percent of menhave ever been tested and received results. A small proportion (4 percent of women and 3 percent ofmen) were tested but never received their test results. One in five women and men (19 percent) weretested and received their results in the 12 months before the survey. These results point to the need tokeep encouraging the general population to know their health status through available VCT sitesacross the country.Utilization of VCT services is higher among urban residents and increases with level ofeducation and wealth quintile among both women and men (Figure 7.2). Residents of Eastern Zoneare most likely to have ever been tested and received results, while women in Zanzibar and men in theLake Zone are least likely.Overall, the proportion of women and men age 15-49 who have been tested for HIV andreceived results in the 12 months before the survey has increased from 5 percent of women and7 percent of men reported in the 2003-04 THIS to 19 percent of women and men reported in the2007-08 THMIS.It is assumed that all pregnant women should be counselled about HIV during antenatal care(ANC) and offered an HIV test. Currently, treatment exists that can significantly reduce the chancesof an infant becoming infected with HIV from an HIV-positive mother during childbirth. Wheretreatment is not available, referral systems are in place and HIV-positive mothers should receivecounselling on best practices for their new baby and on future pregnancy choices. These actions areimportant in reducing the likelihood of HIV-positive women passing the virus to their children duringpregnancy, during delivery, or through breastfeeding. It is necessary to encourage pregnant women tobe tested so that they know their own HIV status.82 | HIV/AIDS-Related Behaviour