HIV Risk Perception and Prevalence in a Program for Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission: Comparison of Women Who Accept Voluntary Counseling and Testing and Those Tested Anonymously

OBJECTIVE:To determine whether data from voluntary counseling and testing (VCT)/prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs can be used for HIV surveillance. METHODS:Women attending an antenatal clinic at the district hospital in Entebbe, Uganda, from May 2002 to April 2003 were offered counseling and HIV testing with same-day results (VCT) and nevirapine for PMTCT was provided for HIV-positive women and their babies. Those who declined VCT were tested for HIV anonymously. RESULTS:Overall, 2635 women accepted VCT; 883 were tested anonymously. HIV prevalence was higher in VCT than in anonymously tested women in the first month of the program (20% vs. 11%, P = 0.05) and in months with