Abstract

ABSTRACT
Suicide and attempted
suicide are recognized neuropsychiatric complications of
HIV/AIDS and one of the risk factors
is recent notification of seropositivity.
A case of attempted suicide in a
recently diagnosed HIV positive
subject without adequate counseling
is reported. Subject presented at a
government hospital with symptoms
of recurrent vaginal discharge. She
was not adequately counseled on
the need to undertake HIV screening
which she was asked to do. The
result came out positive and she
received the result with disbelief,
shock and sad feeling, consequently
she attempted suicide on two
occasions. The subject was
managed and subsequently referred
to AIDS relief centre of St Gerard
Catholic Hospital, Kaduna for
disease confirmation and comanagement. Subject revealed that
the counseling was not properly
handled before and after the test.
Therefore the need for adequate pre
and post test counseling, an integral
part of HIV/AIDS management should
not be ignored as its importance
cannotbe overemphasized

Key words: Key Words: Suicide Attempt, HIV/AIDS, Pre and Post test Counseling.