| Sumario: | Part of a special issue on behavioral science in HIV prevention. A method for estimating the true resource costs of counseling for HIV prevention is described. To have the best possible impact on HIV infection with the limited finances available, both the costs and effects of programs must be identified. The method estimates the costs of HIV-counseling interventions based on the identification of the resources employed in counseling, the calculation of the true unit costs of the resources used, and the determination of the total costs of counseling. Cost equations and sample calculations of total and anticipated costs per client in a specified time period are presented. This cost analysis method provides a systematic procedure for estimating the cost of an intervention, standardizes the cost components, produces tables that simplify calculations, and generates a consistent calculation that is generally accepted.
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