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Services & Programmes
HIV/AIDS Counselling
HIV/AIDS counselling is a confidential dialogue between a client and a care provider of TASO called Counsellor. It's aimed at enabling the client cope with stress and take personal decision related to HIV/AIDS. It includes an evaluation of personal risk of HIV transmission and facilitation of preventive behaviour. The process begins with the client's first contact with a TASO counsellor for HIV related needs.
Counselling is offered to create a helping relationship between the counsellor and the infected or affected person to support him/her and/or the related family and community cope with the challenges posed by HIV infection and disease.
Who is eligible for HIV/AIDS counselling?
- HIV/AIDS counselling is provided to people with HIV/AIDS and their families.
- Those who are HIV positive with their families.
- Those seeking to undergo an HIV test.
- Those who are concerned that they are at risk or have been at risk of acquiring HIV infection, e.g.those whose partners are HIV infected, or have symptoms of HIV infection, those who may have been exposed through blood, have had unprotected sex with multiple sex partners and those whose regular partners have had unprotected sex with multiple partners.
The provision of emotional support, including helping the client to cope with stress and plan for the future; and the assessment of risks and planning for risk reduction, including the development of a decision making capacity about options for prevention.
TASO's clients are proud of the confidentiality and the personalised process involving direct care and access to clients' information.
The types of counselling provided include;
- Pre-test Counselling
Offered to clients before carrying out an HIV antibody test to establish their serostatus and those interested in information on HIV infection and disease. It aims at preparing a person to make an informed decision to take an HIV test and consider implications of the positive or negative results and ways of living with them.
This counselling also helps a person to consider behavioral change as a means of preventing HIV infection and realise the dangers of having unprotected sex that could bring the risk of HIV infection.
Situations that may require post test counselling;A couple intending to get married, Someone who has lost a spouse or a child to HIV/AIDS,A mother having a sick child who has symptoms of HIV/AIDS,Some one sick or worried.
- Post test Counselling
Offered to a client who is willing to receive and learn about the HIV antibody test results. It helps to ensure that the person has understood the meaning of the results she/he has received and provide emotional support necessary to cope with the results. - Prevention Counselling
Provides information to clients with regard to preventing infection and re-infection of HIV and STD. This counselling helps the client think about the factors that may predispose him/her to opportunistic infections and what they can do to minimise those risks. - Bereavement Counselling
Offered to the close spouses, children and family members in events of death of their relative. It aims at helping the family members develop a positive perspective towards death and other losses related to HIV infection physical deterioration of the body, Loss of friends and decline in economic well being. - Crisis Counselling.
In the context of HIV infection and disease a crisis may be sparked off by any of the following;Sudden onset of an illness e.g. Herpes zoster, Intractable diarrhea, skin rash, etcSudden fear or indicator of dying and lose of spouse or child. Being hospitalised and seeing others who are doing well die.
Sudden loss of employment and accommodationLosing a friend or relative you had entrusted you future life with. - Couple Counselling
Couple counselling is where two individuals or more (man and woman) who have had or intend to have sexual relations discusses issues concerning HIV infection and diseases together. It is important To strengthen the relationship and promote mutual understanding.Couple counselling enables the two individual to share and learn more information on HIV infection and STD.
Both and individually make joint strategies of supporting each other socially and psychologically. Helps share their feelings, anxieties, concerns and worries about HIV infection and diseases. To develop and promote behavioral change strategiesCouple counselling gives an opportunity to the couple to identify factors that can predisposes them to HIV and set strategies for preventionEnables both individuals set joint strategies on how to avoid being infected with HIV, pregnancies, STD'sHelps couple learn more information on safer sex methods e.g. condom use, having family dialogue etc - Family Counselling
This is offered to those living in a committed relationship with a client, those living in the same household as the client; and important members of the client's extended family or community.
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