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Choko, Augustine Talumba, Desmond, Nicola, Webb, Emily L., Chavula, Kondwani, Napierala-Mavedzenge, Sue, Gaydos, Charlotte A., Makombe, Simon D., Chunda, Treza, Squire, Bertie 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7173-9038, French, Neil, Mwpasa, Victor and Corbett, Elizabeth L.
(2011)
'The Uptake and Accuracy of Oral Kits for HIV Self-Testing in High HIV Prevalence Setting: A Cross-Sectional Feasibility Study in Blantyre, Malawi'. PLoS Medicine, Vol 8, Issue 10, e1001102.
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Abstract
Background
Although HIV testing and counseling (HTC) uptake has increased dramatically in Africa, facility-based services are unlikely to ever meet ongoing need to the full. A major constraint in scaling up community and home-based HTC services is the unacceptability of receiving HTC from a provider known personally to prospective clients. We investigated the potential of supervised oral HIV self-testing from this perspective.
Methods and Findings
Adult members of 60 households and 72 members of community peer groups in urban Blantyre, Malawi, were selected using population-weighted random cluster sampling. Participants were offered self-testing plus confirmatory HTC (parallel testing with two rapid finger-prick blood tests), standard HTC alone, or no testing. 283 (95.6%) of 298 selected adults participated, including 136 (48.0%) men. 175 (61.8%) had previously tested (19 known HIV positive), although only 64 (21.5%) within the last year. HIV prevalence was 18.5%. Among 260 (91.9%) who opted to self-test after brief demonstration and illustrated instructions, accuracy was 99.2% (two false negatives). Although 98.5% rated the test “not hard at all to do,” 10.0% made minor procedural errors, and 10.0% required extra help. Most participants indicated willingness to accept self-test kits, but not HTC, from a neighbor (acceptability 94.5% versus 46.8%, p = 0.001).
Conclusions
Oral supervised self-testing was highly acceptable and accurate, although minor errors and need for supervisory support were common. This novel option has potential for high uptake at local community level if it can be supervised and safely linked to counseling and care.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | QY Clinical Pathology > QY 4 General works WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV Infections > WC 503.1 Diagnosis WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV Infections > WC 503.7 Psychosocial aspects |
| Faculty: Department: | Groups (2002 - 2012) > Clinical Group |
| Digital Object Identifer (DOI): | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001102 |
| Depositing User: | Users 379 not found. |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Oct 2012 08:23 |
| Last Modified: | 13 Nov 2019 11:21 |
| URI: | https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/3064 |
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