Overview

This document offers basic operational guidance on HIV testing and counselling in settings attended by people who inject drugs (PWID). It is intended for a wide audience, including policy-makers, HIV/AIDS programme planners and coordinators, care providers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) providing services for HIV-related conditions, and civil society groups.

Surveys in the Asia–Pacific region have found that, on average, less than 20% of PWID have been tested for HIV in the previous 12 months and received the results. Greater knowledge of HIV status is critical to expanding access to HIV treatment, care and support in a timely manner, and offers people living with HIV an opportunity to receive information and the tools to prevent them from transmitting HIV to others.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Acronyms and abbreviations
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 CONTEXT
  • 1.2 CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS
  • 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE
  • 1.4 TARGET AUDIENCE
  • 1.5 METHODOLOGY
  • 1.6 INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDANCE
  • 1.7 TERMINOLOGY
  • 1.8 TESTING AND COUNSELLING FOR PWID IN THE ASIA–PACIFIC REGION
  • 1.9 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR PWID
• 2. Recommendations for HIV testing and counselling for PWID
  • 2.1 SUPPORTIVE SOCIAL, POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK
  • 2.2 HIV TESTING AND COUNSELLING FOR PWID IN HEALTH AND OTHER FACILITIES
  • 2.3 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
  • 2.4 LINKAGES BETWEEN HIV AND PWID SERVICES
• 3. Process and elements
  • 3.1 PRE-TEST INFORMATION AND INFORMED CONSENT
  • 3.2 POST-TEST COUNSELLING
  • 3.3 REFERRAL SYSTEMS
  • 3.4 FREQUENCY OF TESTING
  • 3.5 HIV TESTING TECHNOLOGIES
• 4. Programmatic considerations
  • 4.1 NATIONAL AND LOCAL CONSULTATION, AND ADAPTATION ACTIVITIES TO IMPLEMENT HIV TESTING AND COUNSELLING IN PWID SETTINGS
  • 4.2 PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION IN HEALTH FACILITIES FOR PWID
  • 4.3 PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION IN HARM-REDUCTION SETTINGS
  • 4.4 PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION IN CLOSED SETTINGS
  • 4.5 RECORDING AND REPORTING
  • 4.6 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
• Additional resources
• References

It is anticipated that the recommendations in this document will remain valid until 2014. The HIV/AIDS and STI Focus, Division of Combating Communicable Diseases, at WHO Western Pacific Regional Office will be responsible for initiating a review of these recommendations at that time.

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