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Men do want to test for HIV NGO
Mabutho Ngcobo, Health-e
2008-06-27
Men are generally known to be reluctant to test for HIV. But statistics collected by New Start, a non governmental organization working in getting people to test for HIV, suggest the opposite.
Out of 126 319 people who went to New Start for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) in the past four years, 52% were men, while women constituted 48%. Scott Billy, Technical Advisor at New Start says the reason behind their success in attracting more men is because they did a consumer research to ask men what they want from an HIV counseling and testing service. He said that the research found that men want convenience and anonymity. You dont have to give your name if you dont want to. Billy added that New Start has done exactly what men wanted - taking testing services to the people.
Comparing the service to government-run VCT programmes, the challenge of attracting men to come for HIV testing is still huge. Sister Nokulunga Willie is the head of the VCT program at Madwaleni Hospital in Mbashe near Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape province. She faces this challenge on a daily basis. Men do not come in their numbers like women. Sometimes they send the wives or girlfriends and say if youre positive, then it means I am also positive, said Sister Willie Billy says it is difficult for public health sector VCT programs to attract men because of a simple reason.
Men in general, in South Africa and all around the world, when they get sick they do not necessarily go to the clinic. Women are used to go to the clinics And women in many countries, including South Africa, are the ones who take children to clinics when they are sick. Men dont like to go to the clinic. So, we are trying to make the service which is outside the clinic that appeals to men, he said. About 18 122 of the 126 319 New Start clients tested positive. Among these 10 300 were female, while 7 822 were male.
Those who test positive are not left out in the cold, says Miriam Mhazo, Senior Program Manager at New Start. If you test positive our counselors help you to look at how you can live a longer and healthier life. We refer you to post test services. And we also refer people for treatment, she said, adding that those who test negative we also help them find ways of remaining negative... So, for those who say they would rather die than know their status its because they do not have full facts.
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