July 14, 2005
By Anish Abraham
ONLY a small percentage of men go for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) for HIV, statistics show.
This is despite the efforts of the City and a number of organisations, and it is a trend Joburg and its partners want to change.
A seminar, "Men as partners? Increasing men's utilisation of HIV services", will be held at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Diepkloof, Soweto, on 21 July from 1pm to 4pm.
Research on relevant topics will be presented, and ways will be sought to persuade more men to go for voluntary counselling and testing.
A survey this year of 2 500 men and women between 15 and 34 in Soweto found that only 28 percent of men had been tested for HIV/Aids, compared with 55 percent of women.
Further, a study of anti-retroviral treatment in Johannesburg conducted between April and June last year found that women getting treatment outnumbered men by two to one.
"We are hoping to apply the research to understand better why men do not undertake testing," said Andrew Levack, a consultant at EngenderHealth. "We want to use the information to devise better interventions to persuade more men to go for HIV testing."
EngenderHealth is an international non-profit organisation that has been working for 60 years to make reproductive health services safe, available and sustainable for women and men worldwide.
Levack has been involved with Men as Partners, an EngenderHealth programme, for the past seven years. MAP, as it is better known, deals mainly with men and focuses on issues such as HIV/Aids, sexually transmitted infections, contraceptives and gender violence.
According to Meisie Lerutle, the deputy director of the City's HIV/Aids service, the City's work with MAP in those fields formed part of the Jozi Ihlomile HIV and Aids Programme, which is being implemented in regions six (Doornkop and Soweto), eight (the inner city)
and 10 (Meadowlands and Diepkloof).
"We hope that through the programme we will be able to encourage more men to utilise City of Johannesburg VCT services," she said.
Among those who will give presentations at the seminar are Levack; Lerutle; Dr Francois Venter and Thulani Grey of the Reproductive Health Research Unit; Bernard Nhlapo from HIVSA and the Imbizo Men's Health Centre; and Prudence Ditlopo and Sgidi Sibeko from the Population Council and Hope Worldwide.
In the 2004/5 financial year all regions were mandated to conduct VCT awareness programmes in an effort to increase the number of people who were being tested for HIV.
HIV testing services are available in all 70 fixed health facilities in the city. In addition, 66 of these provide rapid on site HIV testing, with results available within 30 minutes of taking the test.
The seminar takes place on 21 July at the old Nurses Home building, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital from 1pm to 4pm.
For more information and to book, contact Nkonzo Khanyile at EngenderHealth on 011 833 0504.
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