Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Female Clients Accessing HIV Testing and Counseling Services: Pilot Testing Tools in Rakai, Uganda

Abstract

The World Health Organization recommends that HIV counseling and testing (HCT) programs implement strategies to address how intimate partner violence (IPV) influences women's ability to protect themselves from and seek care and treatment for HIV infection. We discuss the process used to adapt a screening and brief intervention (SBI) for female clients of HCT services in Rakai, Uganda-a setting with high prevalence of both HIV and IPV. By outlining our collaborative process for adapting and implementing the SBI in Rakai and training counselors for its use, we hope other HCT programs will consider replicating the approach in their settings.

Keywords: HIV testing and counseling; Uganda; intimate partner violence.