Couples HIV Counseling and Testing Intervention and Training Curriculum

Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Rwanda Zambia HIV Research Group (RZHRG) has updated the training curriculum for Couples HIV Testing and Counseling in Health Care Facilities. The original curriculum was developed in 2007 and has been adapted for implementation in more than 22 countries to date. The updated curriculum has been revised to include recent policies and evidence regarding successful approaches to HIV prevention, care, and treatment including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), and early antiretroviral therapy (ART) for persons living with HIV (PLHIV). In addition, the time necessary to conduct the training has been reduced from 4 days to 2 days.

The revised CHTC Curriculum was field tested in South Africa and Nigeria. The curriculum is designed to address the CHTC training and implementation needs of health care providers and counselors who have already receiving training to conduct HIV testing and counseling (HTC) through their national training programs. The overall goal of the Couples HIV Testing and Counseling (CHTC) in Health Facilities training curriculum is to increase the skills of health care providers and counselors to provide couples HTC so that these providers can help couples understand and accept the results of their HIV test and access appropriate follow-up care, treatment, and prevention services.

The curriculum consists of seven modules including:

• Module One: Background to Couples HIV Testing and Counseling
• Module Two: CHTC Communication Skills
• Module Three: Overview of CHTC and Pre-Test Session
• Module Four: Delivering Results to Concordant HIV-Negative Couples
• Module Five: Delivering Results to Concordant HIV-Positive Couples
• Module Six: Delivering Results to HIV-Discordant Couples
• Module Seven: Logistics and Implementation of CHTC

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. It is therefore recommended that all countries and partners using this curriculum adapt the materials to include the policies, guidelines and specific context of their country setting.

 

Training Materials

The training curriculum consists of several materials including a trainer’s manual, a participant’s manual, participant handouts, and PowerPoint slides to be used by the trainer when reviewing the course content. The trainer’s manual includes module-by-module course instructions for preparation and presentation of CHTC technical content, counseling skills, and interactive exercises, including handouts and overheads. Similarly, the participant’s manual includes CHTC technical content, counseling skills, learning exercises and opportunities for practicing skills. By clicking on the links below you will be able to download the various components of the CHTC training package.

 

Module Name	Download
Trainer’s Manual	Download Trainer's Manual [PDF]
Participant’s Manual	Download Participant's Manual [PDF]
PowerPoint Slides for Module 1	Download Module 1 [PDF]
PowerPoint Slides for Module 2	Download Module 2 [PDF]
PowerPoint Slides for Module 3	Download Module 3 [PDF]
PowerPoint Slides for Module 4	Download Module 4 [PDF]
PowerPoint Slides for Module 5	Download Module 5 [PDF]
PowerPoint Slides for Module 6	Download Module 6 [PDF]
PowerPoint Slides for Module 7	Download Module 7 [PDF]
Participant Handout: Applying Mediation Skills	Download Applying Mediation Skills [PDF]
Participant Handout: Communication Skills	Download Communication Skills [PDF]
Participant Handout: Evaluation Form	Download Evaluation Form [PDF]
Participant Handout: CHTC Work Plan and Timeframe	Download Work Plan and Timeframe [PDF]
Participant Handout: Training Agenda	Download Training Agenda [PDF]
Participant Handout: Pre-Course Assessment	Download Pre-Course Assessment [PDF]
Participant Handout: Post-Course Assessment	Download Post-Course Assessment[PDF]
Participant Handout: Provider Card	Download Provider Card [PDF]
Participant Handout: Role Play Guidelines	Download Role Play Guidelines [PDF]
Participant Handout: Self-Awareness Activity	Download Self-Awareness Activity [PDF]
Participant Handout: Three Types of Possible Test Results	Download Three Types of Possible Test Results [PDF]
Participant Handout: Couples Certification of Participation	Download Couples Certification of Participation [PDF]
Participant Handout: Concordant Couple Role Plays	Download Concordant Couple Role Plays [PDF]
Participant Handout: Discordant Couple Role Plays	Download Discordant Couple Role Plays [PDF]

 

For More Information

For more information about the CHTC curriculum, including adapting the curriculum for a national program, please contact:

HIV Testing and Counseling Team
Attn: Couples HIV Testing and Counseling Curriculum
CDC Division of Global HIV/AIDS
1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS E04
Atlanta, GA 30333
404-718-8601
igm8@cdc.gov