PAUSE©: THE CASE FOR DEVELOPING A PREMARITAL HIV TESTING AID FOR PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37268/mjphm/vol.23/no.3/art.2085Keywords:
premarital, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, counselling, primary careAbstract
Since 2001, Malaysia has mandated premarital Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) screening tests for prospective Muslim couples to curb HIV transmission. Pre-test counselling is essential prior to HIV testing. Nevertheless, a standardized format for delivering HIV pre-test counselling tailored to premarital clients has been lacking. This study aims to create the Premarital Counselling (PAUSE©) flipchart for couples undergoing mandatory premarital HIV testing in primary care settings and assess its comprehensibility and efficacy. Developed in accordance with literature reviews, local and international guidelines, PAUSE© content validity was ensured through an expert panel comprising Infectious Disease Specialists, Family Medicine Specialists with a particular focus on HIV, and HIV counsellors. The understandability of PAUSE© was evaluated among its end users—the clients—using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool – Print (PEMAT-P) questionnaire. To gauge effectiveness, pre- and post-test questionnaires assessing HIV knowledge were administered. Results indicated that clients' PEMAT-P scores for PAUSE© demonstrated strong understandability (scores >70%). PAUSE© exhibited preliminary effectiveness in enhancing overall HIV knowledge scores post-counseling (Z= -5.24, P <0.001). Therefore, PAUSE© serves as an easily comprehensible and valuable standardized counseling aid, supporting premarital HIV test counseling within primary care facilities.
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