Authors: Sheri A Lippman, Jessica S Grignon, Boitumelo Ditshwane, Rebecca L West, Hailey J Gilmore, Sipho Mazibuko, Livhuwani G Mongwe, Torsten B Neilands, Sarah A Gutin, Cara O'Connor, Maideline A Santana, Mohammed Majam
In South Africa, HIV testing rates among men are lower than for women and fall short of national targets. This study evaluated a strategy where community health workers (CHWs) distributed HIV self-screening (HIVSS) kits and provided follow-up support to men in Johannesburg who hadn’t been tested in the past 12 months. Follow-up was either personal support (PS) or automated SMS. Out of 4,793 participants, 62% had never been tested before. Follow-up data from 3,993 participants showed 90.6% used their kits, increasing testing coverage from under 4% to 9.5%. Test use was higher with PS follow-up (99% vs. 68% with SMS), but more reactive results were reported with SMS (6.4% vs. 2.0%), leading to more treatment initiations in the SMS group (23 vs. 9). This indicates that CHW distribution of HIVSS kits significantly increases testing among men, with SMS follow-up being more effective for maintaining privacy and encouraging treatment.
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Resource Topic: HIV and AIDS
Resource Type: Quasi Experimental
Year: 2024
Region: Africa
Country: South Africa
Publisher May Restrict Access: No