Interviewer instructions
This question is asked to all men of reproductive age, and to women of reproductive age who have not given birth in the last two years. AIDS is an illness caused by the HIV virus, which weakens the immune system and leads to death through secondary infections, such as pneumonia. It is transmitted sexually or through contact with contaminated blood. In conjunction with the questions in section Q6400 on HIV counselling and testing during antenatal care, this question asks about voluntary counselling and testing to get an idea of how well people are being reached by HIV/AIDS intervention programmes and how many people know their HIV status. The question asks whether the respondent went to have an HIV test in the last 12 months.
In many societies there is a level of stigma around people who are HIV-positive, so it is important to read this (and the next) question as written and stress the confidentiality of responses. Preface the questions by saying, "I do not want to know the results of the test".
Note that in many situations, people may assume that their blood has been tested for HIV at some time, for example when giving a blood donation, when applying for insurance, or when attending antenatal services. However this question refers to the “voluntary” element of testing, so an answer of “yes” is appropriate only if the person specifically requested a test.
If the answer is no to this question. Skip to question Q6700.
