Spousal Response to Voluntary Counselling and Testing: An Analysis of Female Patients at Faith Alive Foundation Hospital Jos

Abstract

The research is on spousal response to voluntary counselling and testing of human immunodeficiency virus and their reaction to HIV test results at the Faith Alive Foundation Hospital Jos, Nigeria.  Survey questionnaire was combined with laboratory HIV tests to obtain information from respondents.  All 244 new patients who attended hospital within the period of the study covering two months were sampled for the study.  It was found that the majority (94.7%, n=231) of the women accepted voluntary counselling and testing and further took part in the HIV test while (5.3%, n=13) declined test.  The majority (76.93%, n=10) of the women who rejected test said they needed to seek permission from their husbands.  The laboratory HIV result showed that majority (62.77%, n=145) of the women tested HIV positive.  The result further showed that 60.8% (n=138) of the husbands refused to come for the HIV test but 39.2% (n=89) accepted and appeared for the test.  Husbands who refused to come for the test stated that they do not believe in HIV or that they were very busy and wouldn’t have time for HIV test.  Generally, spouses who did the test and received a positive result felt depressed; they cried and were angry over it.  Post test counselling was done which enabled respondents to accept ARVs and plan for their future.   Social mobilization and sensitization in addition to male-couple attendance at ante-natal care services are recommended to influence couples to accept voluntary counselling and testing.

Keywords: Gender, power relations, voluntary counselling and testing.