Table 1.
Characteristics of selected papers
| 1stAuthor/Year [Citations] | Country | Settings Urban/Rural | Sample (sub-group) | Study type | Aim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle, 2003 [28] |
Mali |
Urban |
Men & women 20–34 yrs; Young people 17–24 yrs |
Qualitative |
To assess attitude towards HIV with a view to setting up VCT services. |
| Pool, 2001 [29] |
Uganda |
Rural |
Women antenatal care attendees |
Qualitative |
To explore attitudes to VCT among women attending antenatal care. |
| Daftary, 2007 [30] |
South Africa |
Urban |
In-patient with TB |
Qualitative |
To explore decision making processes for HIV testing and disclosure by TB patients. |
| Maman, 2001 [31] |
Tanzania |
Urban |
Men, women, Couples |
Qualitative |
To explore individual, relational and environmental factors influencing HIV testing decision & disclosure of status to partners. |
| Mabunda, 2006 [32] |
South Africa |
Rural |
Men and women ≥ 18yrs |
Qualitative |
To identify themes related to VCT services in rural South Africa. |
| Angotti, 2009 [33] |
Malawi |
Rural |
Married women & men 15–49 yrs; Married & unmarried adolescents 15–24 yrs |
Qualitative |
To examine the acceptability of HIV testing in 3 rural districts. |
| MacPhail, 2008 [34] |
South Africa |
Urban |
Adolescents 12–24 yrs; parent |
Qualitative |
To establish the perceptions of and needs for VCT among young people. |
| Mlay, 2008 [35] |
Tanzania |
Urban |
Women 18–49 yrs; Men 20–75 yrs |
Qualitative |
To gain insight into the views of counsellors men and women on VCT for couples. |
| Izugbara, 2009 [36] |
Malawi & Uganda |
Rural/Urban |
Male youths 14–19 yrs |
Qualitative |
To offer youth-centred perspectives & masculinity as they relate to HIV services, including VCT. |
| Grant, 2008 [37] |
Zambia |
Urban |
People living with HIV |
Qualitative |
To examine what factors affect a person’s decision to seek testing and then start and stop treatment. |
| Denison, 2008 [38] |
Zambia |
Urban |
Adolescents 16–19 yrs |
Qualitative |
Explore how adolescents involve their families, friends, sex partner about VCT & disclosure of status. |
| Oshi, 2007 [39] |
Nigeria |
Urban |
University Students |
Qualitative |
To investigate if self-perception of risk of HIV infection causes Nigeria youths to reduce risky sexual behaviour & seek VCT. |
| Meiberg, 2008 [40] |
South Africa |
Urban |
University Students |
Qualitative |
To identify psychosocial correlates of HIV voluntary counselling & testing. |
| Groves, 2010 [41] |
South Africa |
Urban |
Women at antenatal clinic |
Qualitative |
To explore women’s experiences with HIV testing & the consent process in a public antenatal clinic. |
| Råssjö, 2009 [42] |
Uganda |
Urban |
Young men & women |
Qualitative |
Attitude to VCT among young men & women in a slum area of Kampala, Uganda. |
| Chirawu, 2010 [43] |
Zimbabwe |
Rural |
Men and women ≥ 18yrs |
Mixed methods |
To examine the acceptability & feasibility of providing client-initiated VCT in health facilities & research-initiated VCT in a non-clinic setting. |
| De Paoli, 2004 [44] |
Tanzania |
Rural |
Women at antenatal clinic |
Mixed methods |
To identify factors associated with pregnant women’s willingness to accept VCT. |
| Ayenew, 2010 [45] |
Ethiopia |
Not stated |
Patient with TB; Nurse counsellors |
Mixed methods |
To assess predictors of HIV testing among TB patients. |
| Namakhoma, 2010 [46] |
Malawi |
Urban & Rural |
Health Workers |
Mixed methods |
To explore the enablers and access barriers to HIV-VCT & ART by health workers in Malawi. |
| Urassa, 2005 [47] |
Tanzania |
Not Stated |
Women 15–45 yrs old |
Mixed methods |
To identify risk factors for preferring to avoid HIV testing among women attending antenatal care. |
| Obermeyer, 2009 [48] |
Burkina Faso |
Urban & rural |
Men & women |
Mixed methods |
To investigate the utilization of services around HIV testing. |
| Bhagwanjee, 2008 [49] |
South Africa |
Not stated |
Mine employees |
Qualitative |
To understand users’ perceptions of VCT & HIV treatment services offered by a mining company. |
| Luginaah, 2005 [50] |
Ghana |
Not stated |
Pastors, Marriage counsellors, men & women |
Qualitative |
To examine efforts by some men & women churches in Ghana to reduce the spread of HIV through HIV-VCT. |
| Taegtmeyer, 2006 [51] |
Kenya |
Urban & rural |
Men & women |
Mixed methods |
To better understand the reasons behind gender differences in Kenyan VCT sites. |
| Larson, 2010 [52] |
Uganda |
Urban |
Men |
Qualitative |
To explore men’s views on and experiences of couple HIV testing during antenatal care. |
| Varga, 2008 [53] |
South Africa |
Urban & rural |
adolescent mothers 15–19 yrs old |
Qualitative |
To examine barriers to HIV testing uptake & participation in PMTCT services. |
| Sherr, 2003 [54] |
South Africa |
Urban & rural |
Health staff & women |
Qualitative |
To establish the attitude of clinic staff & pregnant women to routine HIV testing & counselling. |
| Simpson, 2010 [55] |
Zambia |
Urban & rural |
Cohort of school boys |
Qualitative |
To describe masculinity, religious ideas & response to VCT among a cohort of catholic boys. |
| Nuwaha, 2002 [56] |
Tanzania |
Urban & rural |
Men & women |
Mixed methods |
To understand factors influencing choice of VCT. |
| Theuring, 2009 [57] |
Tanzania |
Rural |
Men of reproductive age |
Mixed methods |
To assess male attitude regarding partner involvement in ANC and PMTCT services. |
| Mbonye, 2010 [58] |
Uganda |
Rural |
Women, Men & adolescents Local leaders & health workers |
Mixed methods |
To understand care-seeking practices and barriers to PMCT services. |
| Levy, 2009 [59] |
Malawi |
Urban |
HIV-positive women; PMTCT programme managers; policy makers; health workers |
Qualitative |
To examine women’s decisions about HIV testing & experiences of PMTCT & HIV-related care. |
| Bwambale, 2008 [60] |
Uganda |
Rural |
Men & women aged ≥18 years; CHWs; NGO health workers |
Mixed methods |
To determine the prevalence and factors associated with VCT use amongst men. |
| Frank, 2009 [61] |
Zambia |
Rural |
Women and men with HIV; village leaders; health workers |
Qualitative |
To determine if community structures and livelihood strategies were changing to mitigate the impact of the HIV epidemic. |
| Larson, 2012 [62] |
Uganda |
Rural |
Pregnant women at ANC |
Qualitative |
To explore pregnant women experiences of opt-out HIV testing. |
| Dye, 2011 [63] |
Kenya |
Rural |
Men & women in the community |
Qualitative |
To ascertain motivational & experiential dimensions of participation in rapid integrated prevention campaigns. |
| Roura, 2009 [64] |
Tanzania |
Rural |
Community leaders, ART users, Health workers |
Qualitative |
To investigate the effects of ART scale up on stigma & HIV testing in rural Tanzania. |
| Day, 2003 [65] |
South Africa |
Urban & rural |
Mine workers |
Mixed methods |
To identify the attitude influencing uptake of VCT among Gold mine workers in South Africa. |
| Phakathi, 2011 [66] |
South Africa |
Rural |
Community members |
Qualitative |
To examine the influence of ART on willingness to test for HIV in a rural community. |
| Skovdal, 2011 [67] |
Zimbabwe |
Rural |
ART users, Health workers, care givers of children on ART |
Qualitative |
To examine how local construction of masculinity impact on men’s use of HIV services. |
| Njozing, 2010 [68] |
Cameroon |
Not stated |
TB Patients |
Qualitative |
To explore the barriers and barriers to HIV testing among TB patients. |
| Jürgensen 2012 [69] | Zambia | Urban & rural | Community members & VCT counsellors | Qualitative | To explore local meaning attached client initiated HIV testing in rural & urban setting of Zambia. |