Risk Behaviour and Psychosocial Stressors of Clients Attending Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre (ICTC) of a Rural Community Health Centre, Tamil Nadu

India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world, with an adult (15-49 years) HIV prevalence of 0.22%. Lack of knowledge and social taboos related to sex issues are major contributing factors to the spread of HIV/AIDS. The present study is aimed to assess risk behaviour and psychosocial stressors of voluntary attendees of ICTC, towards HIV/AIDS in a rural community health centre in Tamil Nadu. A total of 184 attendees at ICTC, either attending voluntarily or referred from different primary health centres were included. A pre-designed structured questionnaire was self-self-administered to each client to evaluate risky behaviour and psychosocial stressors about HIV/AIDS. Heterosexual risky behaviour 133(72.3%) was the most common risky sexual behaviour among the study subjects. Among primarily anticipated psychosocial stressors financial burden 60 (32.6%) was the most common concern among the attendees followed by the fear of Serious illness 58 (31.5%). The present study identifies the various risk behaviours which might be responsible for the occurrence of HIV infection among the study participants and the present study also brought out the various psychosocial stressors faced by the clients attending ICTC, so that counseling techniques to tackle such stressors can be incorporated in the training module of the counsellors to impart better counseling services. Health education can be given to the clients to reduce the risk behaviour and also to allay the misbeliefs regarding HIV/AIDS.