The purpose of the study was to identify themes related to voluntary counseling and testing services in a rural South African village. Qualitative research methods using grounded theory approach were used. Data were collected from 20 informants. Participants demonstrated knowledge of the availability of voluntary HIV counseling and testing services in the area; however participants did not utilize the services unless they had signs and symptoms suggesting possible HIV infection. Health providers have a responsibility to ensure that individuals get tested before they are infected so as to educate them about ways to protect themselves against HIV infection.
Byrnes, R. M. (1997). South Africa: A country study. Federal research division. Washington, DC: Library of Congress.
2.
Cohen, D., Scribner, R., & Farley, T. (2000). A structural model of health behaviour: A pragmatic approach to explain and influence health behaviors at the population level. Preventive Medicine, 30, 146-154.
3.
Decosas, J. (2003). HIV prevention and treatment in South Africa: Affordable and desirable. The Lancet, 361, 1146.
4.
Etiebet, M. A., Fransman, D., Forsyth, B., Coetzee, N., & Hussey, G. (2004). Integrating prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission into antenatal care: Learning from the experiences of women in South Africa. AIDS Care, 16(1), 37-46.
5.
Ginwalla, S. K., Grant, A. D., Day, J. H., Dlova, T. W., MacCintyre, S., Baggaley, R., et al. (2002). Use of UNAIDS tools to evaluate HIV voluntary counselling and testing services for mineworkers in South Africa. AIDS Care, 14, 707-726.
6.
Gruskin, S. (2002). The UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS: Were some lessons of the last 20 years ignored?American Journal of Public Health, 92, 337-338.
7.
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. (2003a). Geographical area by country: South Africa. Retrieved January 17, 2003, from http://www.unaids.org/en/geographical+area/by+country/south+africa.asp
8.
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. (2003b). Voluntary counselling and testing: Gateway to prevention. Geneva, Switzerland: UNAIDS.
9.
Kalichman, S. C., & Simbayi, L. C. (2003). HIV testing attitudes, AIDS stigma, and voluntary HIV counselling and testing in a Black township in Cape Town, South Africa. Sexually Transmitted Infection, 79, 442-447.
10.
Mabunda, G. T. (2004). Themes related to HIV knowledge and practices among rural South Africans. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 36(4), 1-5.
11.
National Department of Health. (2004). Coverage and uptake of PMTCT services. Retrieved May 24, 2004, from http://www.doh.gov.za/aids/docs/
12.
Obiechina, N. J. A., Nwosu, O. B., Okafor, C. I., & Ikpeze, O. C. (2001). Knowledge, awareness and perception of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among antenatal patients at Nnewi, Nigeria. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 21, 292-294.
13.
Salihu, H. M., Nnedu, O. N., Karita, E., Vyankandindera, J., & Jolly, P. E. (2003). Predictors of HIV seropositivity following intrapartum voluntary counselling and testing among Rwandan women. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 23, 632-636.
14.
van Dyk, A. C., & van Dyk, P. J. (2003). “To know or not to know”: Service-related barriers to voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) in South Africa. Curationis, 26(1), 4-10.
15.
Vollmer, N. A., & Valadez, J. J. (1999). A psychological epidemiology of people seeking HIV/AIDS counseling in Kenya: An approach for improving counselloer training. AIDS, 13, 1557-1567.
16.
World Fact Book. (2002). South Africa. Retrieved April 14, 2005, from http://www.faqs.org/docs/factbook/geos/sf.html%23Geo
17.
World Health Organization. (2001). Fighting HIV-related intolerance: Exposing the links between racism, stigma and discrimination. Retrieved September 17, 2004, from http://www.unaids.org/htm/pub/pulications/IRC_pub03/BP_racismen_doc.htm
