ICTC Full Form, What is the Full form of ICTC?

The Full form of ICTC is Integrated Counseling and Testing Center. ICTC is a place where a person is counseled and tested for HIV, on his own free will or as advised by medical provider and convinced that the test is mandatory. A person is assured that the process will be confidential. In India, HIV counseling and testing services were started in 1997. The main functions of an ICTC are; early detection of HIV, provision of basic information on modes of transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS for promoting behavioral change and reducing vulnerability, linking positive people with other HIV prevention, care and treatment services, follow up counseling, prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT), cross referrals – TB/STI/ART/TI-NGO/DIC/CCC etc. It is not the mandate of an ICTC to Counsel and test everyone in the general population but there are Subpopulation who are more vulnerable or practice high risk behavior. These sub populations include sex workers and their clients, (MSM) Men who have sex with men, transgender, injecting drug users (IDUs), Migrant workers, Truckers, spouses and children of man who are prone to risky behavior. HIV prevalence levels are typically higher among these sub populations than in the general populations.