Annotated Bibliography: Voluntary Counselling and Testing

Keywords: client/confidentiality/counsellor/counsellors/KwaZulu-Natal/training
Abstract: A workshop, aimed at counsellors and HIV positive people, was recently run at
Amatikulu on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast to explore various issues about being HIV positive
and about counselling HIV positive people. The group of PWAs and counsellors established that
support groups for HIV positive people would assist with their needs, that counsellors are needed
to help with setting up support groups and also facilitating some of their activities, and that
guidelines on the setting up of these groups should be widely distributed to all role players. Some
interesting issues were raised by counsellors and PWAs during the workshop. Training issues
including: a need for greater duration of the training period, greater emphasis on confidentiality,
helping counsellors understand their own limitations, and encouraging the counsellor to allow the
client to make their own decisions at their own pace.
Notes: 1 copy
Ref ID: 451
Keywords: Virus
HIV to test or not to test: is it a question? (1997). Director's report, 2, 2.
Abstract: In the old days, those dark old days when social gatherings were for fun, conversation
and partying, dinner parties, clubbing and even dates were focused on the pursuit of pleasure
and fun. Since the profile of HIV and AIDS increased to the level of everyday conversation, my
social life has died. I have become a 24 h, "on call" mobile, AIDS resource centre. Few events
pass by without me being drawn quietly into a corner or trapped in a public toilet to listen to
friends and colleagues agonising about whether they should be tested for HIV or not.
So what do you say to someone when they ask if they should be tested for he HIV virus?
Possibly, but there are also convincing arguments for choosing against being tested.
Notes: 1 copy
Ref ID: 113
Lay counsellor project (1998). Red Hot News, 3, 3-4.
Keywords: counsellor/counsellors/lay counselling/resources/social/support
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