Consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services

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Recommendations

15 included recommendations

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Consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services

Recommendations

Lay providers who are trained and supervised can independently conduct safe and effective HIV testing using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs)

Initiatives should be put in place to enforce privacy protection and institute policy, laws and norms that prevent discrimination and promote tolerance and acceptance of people living with HIV. This can help create environments where disclosure of HIV status is easier

(Community based HIV testing services). Low HIV burden settings: WHO recommends community-based HIV testing services, with linkage to prevention, care and treatment, in addition to facility-based testing, for key populations

It is strongly recommended that HIV virological testing be used to diagnose HIV infection in infants and children below 18 months of age

Children of school age should be told the HIV status of their parents or caregivers; younger children should be told this incrementally to accommodate their cognitive skills and emotional maturity.

HIV testing services, with linkages to prevention, treatment and care, are recommended for adolescents from key populations

Adolescents with HIV should be counselled about the potential benefits and risks of disclosure of their HIV status and empowered and supported to determine if, when, how and to whom to disclose

HIV testing services, with linkage to prevention, treatment and care, should be offered to all adolescents in generalized epidemics

HIV testing services, with linkage to prevention, treatment and care, should be accessible to adolescents in low-level and concentrated epidemics

Couples and partners in antenatal care settings should be offered voluntary HIV testing and counselling with support for mutual disclosure.

Couples and partner voluntary HIV testing and counselling with support for mutual disclosure should be offered to individuals with known HIV status and their partners.

Couples and partner testing services are recommended in antenatal care settings, facilitating provision of interventions, including ART for prevention in serodiscordant couples in all settings

Community-based HIV testing services for key populations linked to prevention, treatment and care services are recommended, in addition to routine facility-based HIV testing services, in all settings