Evaluating HIV Counseling and Testing Uptake with Access to Care and Treatment by Discordant Couples at the ART Center of a Tertiary Hospital in Barpeta, Assam

Introduction: In India, majority (76%) of people living with HIV (PLHIV) knew their status as of March 2020, and about 84% of them were on anti-retroviral therapy (ART). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of discordant couples registered under the ART centre, to link positive cases amongst them and to assess the social stigma associated with HIV-AIDS amongst the discordant couples. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in ART centre, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, Barpeta. A purposive sampling design was used to select 74 consenting participants from a total of 89 enrolled during the study period. Participants were identified through the ART register, covering primarily Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, and Baksa districts. Enrollment was based on consent by the participants. Results: All participants were married with mean duration of 13.3 years comprising 96% males with mean age of 41.8 years and their spouse being 34.05 years. Acceptance and support by the partners were observed in 89% cases, and only 18% reported acceptance by their families, but 85% admitted that their status is still concealed to others than family members. Conclusion: Pragmatic issues like social stigmas, illiteracy, and lack of awareness cause “discordant” people to face difficulties like nonconformity by the spouse, family, and society. Current study underscores the need of services and efforts to escalate awareness through information, education, and communication (IEC) and behavior change communication (BCC) at all levels for the better acceptance of participants to live a normal and healthy life.