Access to HIV/AIDS testing by ANSP
and PNC personnel was investigated and very different
conditions were found in each institution. At the beginning
of the CHANGE project, PNC staff essentially had no
access to testing. The police have workplace clinics
that are stocked with supplies, but have none or very
limited lab capabilities and did not process HIV tests.
CHANGE was tasked with improving competencies in providing
risk reduction counseling in professional health couselors
and other health personnel serving the police and police
academy.
A set of state-of-the-art manuals from CDC on VCT training
were translated from English to Spanish and adapted
for use in El Salvador; these manuals formed the basis
of the counseling
training curriculum.
As training was taking place, parallel efforts were
implemented to try and obtain easier and more reliable
access to HIV testing at those clinics, thus overcoming
the largest hurdle to the counseling and testing program.
PNC clinic staff chose to personally transport blood
samples to labs for processing and subsequently deliver
the results to their clients at their respective PNC
clinic. Through this impressive level of commitment
to HIV/AIDS prevention activities, PNC staff has overcome
another hurdle to accessing testing through providing
testing. By making access to testing easier for the
client, it is likely that a larger number of PNC personnel
will cose to get tested.
Substantial time and energy has also been invested
by CHANGE staff to ensure that testing for PNC staff
is strictly voluntary and confidential. Proper handling
of medical records and confidentiality protocols were
established in all workplace clinics. |
