Frequently Asked Questions

The Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) Project conducts national HIV-focused surveys that describe the status of the HIV epidemic. The surveys measure important national and regional HIV-related parameters, including progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, and will guide policy and funding priorities.

PHIA surveys are conducted to provide critical data on the HIV epidemic that helps governments and partners understand the current state of the epidemic, measure the effectiveness of HIV programs, and make informed decisions about where to focus resources and interventions to have the greatest impact on controlling the epidemic.

The survey will reach approximately 7,000 randomly selected households across 11 districts in Uganda. These households are scientifically selected to represent the entire population of Uganda. Only households that are randomly selected can participate to ensure the survey results are representative and can be used to make conclusions about the entire country.

The survey is conducted through household visits by trained field teams. The process includes:

No, there is absolutely no cost to participate in UPHIA 2024-2025. All services provided, including HIV testing, counseling, and referrals to care, are completely free of charge. Participants will not be asked to pay any money at any point during the survey.

No, participation in UPHIA is completely voluntary. You can choose whether or not to participate, and you can withdraw from the survey at any time without any consequences. You can also choose to participate in some parts of the survey but not others (for example, you can do the interview but decline HIV testing). Your decision will be respected.

Benefits of participating include:

HIV rapid test results will be provided immediately during the household visit, along with appropriate counseling. For laboratory-based tests including viral load and recent infection testing, results will be available within 4-6 weeks and can be collected from designated health facilities. You will be given information on where and when to collect these results.

Blood samples will be used for:

All testing is done according to national and international standards, and samples are handled with strict confidentiality.

Knowing your HIV status is important because:

You cannot tell if someone has HIV by looking at them. Many people living with HIV look and feel healthy, especially if they are on treatment. The only way to know if someone has HIV is through an HIV test. It's important not to make assumptions or discriminate against anyone based on appearance or behavior. HIV can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or lifestyle.

HIV is treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), which involves taking a combination of HIV medicines every day. Current treatments include:

With proper treatment, people with HIV can achieve viral suppression, live normal lifespans, and cannot transmit HIV to their partners (U=U: Undetectable = Untransmittable).

Yes, all information collected during UPHIA is strictly confidential. Your name and personal identifying information are separated from your test results and survey responses. All data is stored securely and only authorized survey staff have access. Results are reported in aggregate form only, meaning individual participants cannot be identified in any reports or publications. The survey follows national and international ethical standards for protecting participant privacy.