Over 760 000 tested for HIV at New Start centres

New Start has experienced immense growth since it opened its doors. More than 114 800 clients have been counselled and tested at New Start centres in the past year alone, pointing to significant strides towards the goal of helping individuals and communities lead better, healthier lives.

"We're very proud of the contribution that we've been able to make so far in HIV counselling and testing and we're particularly grateful to all our donors, our partners in the private sector and to the government for helping us to get to where we are so far," said Scott Billy. He is country director of Society for Family Health, which runs the New Start programme.

"We certainly won't be resting on our laurels. We're encouraging people to continue to visit our centres and mobile sites to get tested because it's important for each and every South African to know their HIV status so they can make the right decisions for their health," he added.

Growing

The New Start programme has grown to include both mobile and fixed sites, and will soon expand further to include home-based HIV counselling and testing, which will allow clients to receive HCT services in their homes.

Home-based HCT aims to complement other HCT models by reaching the groups that would not ordinarily access HCT services at a fixed or mobile site. It affords families and couples the opportunity to talk about HIV and to be tested together in the comfort of their homes.

"Discussing HIV in the comfort of your home with a trained counsellor can help to reduce stigma, which has been a big challenge in HIV prevention efforts. This also creates an opportunity to strengthen support structures within the home if any family member tests positive," SFH's HCT manager Ncamsile Nhlabathi said.

Clients can walk into New Start testing sites without an appointment and receive HIV counselling and testing services for just R25. The counselling and testing process lasts under an hour and referrals for post-test support services are given if clients need them.

New Start encourages couples to come into the centres for joint counselling and testing. Counsellors are specially trained and can answer any questions that couples may have on HIV and AIDS and help them to develop a plan to live a longer and healthier life together, whether they test HIV-positive or HIV-negative or if their results are different.

New Start's first three sites opened in December 2004 in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. There are currently 12 New Start Counselling and Testing Centres around the country. The sites, which complement the South African government's activities, also have mobile outreach teams that target the groups of people who do not normally visit public health centres.

For more information on New Start go to www.newstart.co.za or SMS HIV and your postcode to 31771 to find your nearest New Start HIV Counselling and Testing Centre.