Standard procedures for initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treatment of HIV in South Africa can be confusing to patients, who must make multiple clinic visits and are often shuffled around a clinic to receive different services.

Same-day ART initiation using a structured process such as that evaluated in this study is not “too fast” for most patients.

Regardless of the speed of the initiation process, patients prefer non-judgmental, respectful clinic staff, high-quality counselling, privacy during the clinic visit, and fewer referrals within the clinic.