Two representatives from Naifaru Juvenile attended a training workshop last week in Male’ on Voluntary Counseling Testing (VCT), run by a Health Protection Agency from the Ministry of Health. The intensive one-week course ran from the 17^th-23^rd of March, and was professional development for counselors working with clients who present themselves voluntarily for HIV testing. From Juvenile, Abdul Raheem Nashid and Aminath Reema Mahfooz took part in the course, and learnt about pre- and post-test (HIV) counseling, and how to deliver either positive or negative test results. They learnt about risky behaviors that could lead to positive test results, and the populations that are deemed highest-risk, such as sex workers, MSM and mobile populations. How to educate mothers and expecting mothers who are HIV-positive was also discussed, and how to make them aware of lower-risk factors to help them avoid transmitting the disease to their babies, like external breastfeeding with ready-made milk. The week was split between information sessions and practical activities, like role plays, to test approaches for how to deliver these pre- and post-test results, and how to deal with potentially volatile clients – those who are contemplating suicide, committing self-harm, or using drugs. These situations are extra-sensitive and the counselors were given training on how to deal with such clients and properly take their assessments and manage the sessions.

Our representatives were sent to the workshop under the SHE-CORE Initiative Project, and with the support of Naifaru Juvenile.

VCT Training workshop participants 17th-23rd March 2013, Male