The public health 12345678
The Prenahtest study investigated the efficacy of a couple-oriented HIV counselling session (COC) in encouraging couple HIV counselling and testing, and improving intra-couple communication about sexual and reproductive health, in India, Georgia, Dominican Republic and Cameroon. Using a clinical trial design, 484 to 491 pregnant women were recruited in each site and individually randomized to receive either the COC intervention, enhanced counselling with role playing, or standard post-test HIV counselling. Culturally defined gender roles were found to have a profound impact on effectiveness of the COC session, beyond the traditional definition of the communication patterns related to sexual and reproductive health topics.