Voluntary counseling and test for HIV in Longgang district of Shenzhen city, 2009

Objective To understand the performance of voluntary counseling and test (VCT) on HIV/AIDS in Longgang district in Shenzhen in 2009 and provide evidence for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Methods The questionnaire survey was conducted among the 2708 people seeking medical advice in the voluntary counseling clinics in Longgang in Shenshen in 2009 to collect their information about demography reason for counseling and risk behaviors, and their HIV infection status were analyzed. Results The HIV positive rate was 0.4% among the 2078 persons receiving medical advice and care in the VCT clinics for HIV in Longgang, and most of them were young adults aged 19-40 years. The gender ratio of these people was 1 ∶ 2.73. Most inquiring was about heterosexual contact, but the HIV infection rate in men having sex with men was highest (13.3%). The HIV positive cases detected by VCT only accounted for 7.9% of the total HIV positive cases detected in this area (12/151). Conclusion More people, especially females, are willing to receive VCT for HIV as the importance of the program had been widely recognized. It is necessary to strengthen the intervention and detection among the high risk population to reduce the secondary transmission of HIV.