VCT  for HIV is  Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV. VCT involves a person on his or her own deciding to go for an HIV test to know whether he or she is HIV negative or HIV positive.
There are quite a number of places in and around Kampala where you can go for VCT services. Below are some of the places you can go to for VCT services:

• Infectious Diseases Clinic (IDR) at Mulago.
• Mulago Hospital Antenatal Clinic.
• Mulago, Nsambya, Mengo and Rubaga Hospitals.
• Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) in Mengo.
• TASO Mulago.
• Naguru Health Centre
• Kiswa Health Centre
• Kawempe Health Centre
• Mildmay –Uganda at Kajjansi and others.

Typically VCT services consist of:

1. A pre-testing counseling session or sessions with a trained counselor, after which you may decide to take the HIV test either on the same day or a different day or not to take the test at all.
2. In case you decide to take the test, the HIV test will be performed using approved HIV test kits and methods.
3. A post-testing counseling session or sessions with a trained counselor to prepare you to receive your results whether the results are positive or negative.
4. In case you are HIV positive, advice to referral places you can go to for medical, emotional and social care and support.

VCT services therefore provide the opportunity for people to know their HIV status with quality counseling support to help them cope with a positive or negative HIV test result.
It is not recommended to take an HIV test without pre- test and post-test counseling.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CVT) for HIV benefits people who go for the HIV test whether the test results turn out to be negative or positive.

• Knowing one is HIV negative can serve as a strong motivating factor to remain negative, particularly for those who may assume it is too late to adopt safer sexual practices.
• Knowing one is HIV positive can be a motivation to adopt a more healthy lifestyle that slows down the progression from HIV infection to symptomatic HIV disease and full blown AIDS- for example avoiding further risks of infection with other viral strains and STIs, seeking early treatment for opportunistic and HIV/AIDs related infections, having better nutrition and avoiding smoking and reducing stress.

VCT for HIV is a “gateway” for accessing medical treatment, emotional and social support needed by HIV positive people. Today, there are many HIV positive people living healthy and positive lives.

Other Random Questions

• Dear Counselor, is it true that a seropositive couple (a couple where the woman and the man are both HIV positive) can produce a child who is HIV negative? (1)
• Dear Counselor, there is this boy I really love and he doesn’t care about me because he doesn’t want to respect my body yet there is another one who loves me and cares and even he accepted to abstain yet I have no feelings for him. What should I do? (0)