Metrics details. However, little is known about how couples may use this service and what they think about CHTC as an approach to finding out their HIV status. This study aimed to understand how individuals who had ever been in an ongoing heterosexual relationship for 6 months or more intended to use CHTC in Ethiopia and their beliefs about its benefits and potential harms.
Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, in The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and an inductive thematic analysis was conducted. However, many of the individual participants revealed they would prefer first to get tested alone to find out their own HIV status. They feared the consequences if they were HIV-positive, including accusations of infidelity, relationship break-up, and being exposed in the community.
Many also reported being pressured to undertake CHTC before marriage by a third party, including religious institutions. Key informant interviews also discussed the requirements for CHTC before marriage. The findings of this study suggest that people may be concerned about undertaking couples HIV testing without prior individual HIV testing. The intention of many to first test alone has policy and cost implications and underscores the possible harms of the implementation of CHTC in Ethiopia. Future research should examine whether the views identified in this qualitative study are reflected more broadly among couples in the community.
Peer Review reports. HIV Testing and Counselling HTC is an essential entry point to initiate treatment, care and support to prevent further transmission [ 1 , 2 ]. Both the guidelines and HIV testing approaches have evolved over time in response to social and political changes, and advancements in HIV testing technology [ 6 ].
CHTC involves both members of a couple receiving pre-and post-test counselling, and test results together [ 3 ]. Despite increasing interest in understanding the contribution of different HTC approaches to increasing the uptake rate of HIV testing [ 7 , 8 ], limited attempts have been made to understand each approach and their strengths and limitations. However, HIV is a sensitive issue in the socio-cultural context of SSA, as it is in many other places, and individuals could be exposed to unintended psycho-social impacts following CHTC [ 11 , 12 ].
