HIV Testing and Counseling in Uganda

A 23 year old man went for voluntary HIV testing and counseling. Having traveled for 10km on a bicycle, he had no idea what course his life would take after the HIV test.

At the time the health centre was using only one test called capillus. The man learned that his test results were positive. He was shocked at his results, but realized during the post-test counseling that it was possible that he contracted the disease since he was sexually active.

He joined the peer educators group and later formed a post-test club to sensitize youth about HIV/AIDS. Even to this day it still stands. The man was a student at a local technical school and one of the CORE Initiative small grantees in Uganda sponsored him to continue with his education. After his test, he learned with a lot of difficulty what it meant in such a stigmatized society to live positively with the HIV infection. About 8 months after his original test, the testing center received a different kind of HIV testing kit (sero card test kits) and asked all their positive patients to come back for confirmatory tests. The technical school student came for a second test also.

Believe it or not, the confirmatory test proved that the man was HIV negative. The man, who now appreciates what it means to be HIV positive and HIV negative in his society, continues to go around to youth groups. His post test club is one of the beneficiaries of his unique experience.

This story was submitted by one of the CORE Initiative’s small grantees in Uganda. The CORE Initiative small grants program in Uganda provides support to the testing center and for the implementation of post-test clubs such as the one founded by the technical school student.