A phenomenological study of four students' experiences of voluntary counselling and testing

Abstract

Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) has become a vital process in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS. Yet little has been published on how students experience the process of VCT. This study sought to describe and understand the experiences of voluntary counselling and testing among four students at Tshwane University of Technology. This research project focussed on students’ experiences when reporting for voluntary counselling and testing. The results were used to make recommendations for strategies to increase the accessibility and uptake of VCT by students. Using a phenomenological approach, tape recorded interviews were conducted with the four students of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). The data were then categorised into five themes relating to the experience of VCT: emotions, perceptions, actions, thoughts and desires. The results showed that the students were mostly dissatisfied with the VCT clinic’s procedures and the counsellor’s attitudes. Also evident from this study was that counsellors’ professionalism, peer support, and a service that offers both pre- and post-test counselling play a significant role in students’ use of VCT. The findings of this study suggest that the following could be used as strategies to motivate students to utilise VCT services of VCT: (1) increase access and acceptability of VCT for students; (2) ensure access to factual information in the form of counselling; (3) make counselling a priority.