Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Couples HIV counseling and testing has emerged as an important intervention aimed at preventing the transmission of HIV between sex partners, and cohabiting or married couples. HIV prevention counselors can assist couples by:

1. Providing clear and accurate prevention messages tailored to the couple’s life stage and reasons for seeking HIV testing and counseling services
2. Mitigating tension and diffusing blame
3. Dispelling myths about HIV transmission
4. Creating an environment that is safe for disclosure of HIV status among partners
5. Discussion options for disclosure of HIV status to the couple’s children, and thinking through appropriate next steps for testing children, when necessary

 
The materials, instructional design, and formatting of this training package were field tested in South Africa, Kenya, and Botswana in 2004. In 2006 the final field test was conducted in Kenya. These materials were also used in CDC-led trainings in Botswana, Malawi, and Ethiopia in 2005, in Namibia in 2006, and in Nigeria in 2007. Local co-trainers and participants in early pilot tests and subsequent revisions of this manual provided valuable feedback that was used to strengthen these training materials.

As with any training package developed for use in a variety of countries, it will be necessary to review this document and tailor it based on the country’s HIV testing and counseling policies and guidelines; current treatment availability; local and regional realities; cultural norm of couples seeking HIV testing and counseling services; and current and future foreseeable trends in HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support.

Several countries have introduced policies and HIV counseling and testing (HCT) guidelines supporting and promoting CHCT. As a response to the growing demand for CHCT, some countries have already met with key local partners, adapted earlier drafts of these materials, and begun implementing CHCT trainings. 

The CHCT curriculum targets HIV testing and counseling (HTC) providers in resource-constrained settings. It is intended for community HTC providers, but may also be adapted for persons providing HTC services in health facility settings such as antenatal clinics or tuberculosis (TB) clinics. The curriculum includes content in the following areas:

• Introduction to the Manual
• Module 1: Background of CHCT and Discordance
• Module 2: Introduction to Couple Counseling Skills
• Module 3: Initial Session of the CHCT Intervention
• Module 4: Providing Concordant Negative Results
• Module 5: Providing Concordant Positive Results
• Module 6: Providing Discordant Results
• Module 7: Support and Prevention Services
• Module 8: Outreach and Recruitment

Note: By clicking on the links below you will be directed back to the web page where you can download the various components of the CHCT training package.

Includes CHCT technical content, counseling skills, learning exercises and opportunities for practicing skills, and CHCT references.

Includes module-by-module course instructions for preparation and presentation of CHCT technical content, counseling skills, and interactive exercises, including handouts and overheads.