Project Title: HIV oral self-testing in Tanzania
Project Description: A big effort has been made toward developing effective treatment to prevent AIDS among HIV + individuals, and still increasing the proportion of the population testing, linking to care if testing positive, and being retained on care to achieve viral suppression. HIV oral self-testing has been approved in several countries and may provide an important opportunity to increase the proportion of individuals testing: first, because the oral test does not require a finger prick, making... A big effort has been made toward developing effective treatment to prevent AIDS among HIV + individuals, and still increasing the proportion of the population testing, linking to care if testing positive, and being retained on care to achieve viral suppression. HIV oral self-testing has been approved in several countries and may provide an important opportunity to increase the proportion of individuals testing: first, because the oral test does not require a finger prick, making it easier to self-administer, and second because the distribution of self-testing kits appears to break down numerous barriers to testing including the desire for privacy, fear of stigma around HIV, the time required to be tested at a clinic and control over the process. For this case, therefore, Dr. Korte from MUSC will build on this research program focused on HIV oral self-testing in East Africa, by partnering with Dr. Juma and others from Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania. In this project will test the impact of offering HIV oral self-testing in a community setting where male testing rates are very low. Will conduct a community randomized trial in two matched villages near BAGAMOYO and in both villages, we will conduct community sensitization, then identify a random sample and recruit households for HIV testing. In the control village, we will offer a blood-based rapid test based on Tanzania's national algorithm. In the intervention village, we will offer a choice of blood-based rapid tests or oral tests. The specific aim is to; 1. Determine the impact of offering HIV oral self-testing kits, by comparing the uptake of HIV testing in two matched village 2. Determine uptake of HIV testing in different subgroups with a particular focus on men and, 3. Examine linkage to care among those who test positive. This project will provide a strong foundation for new proposal development in this new partnership formed between Dr. Korte of MUSC and Ifakara Health Institute. The promise of self-testing, and oral test in particular, appear to break down several barriers to testing including 1) Desire for privacy and avoiding stigma, 2) Lack of time to attend the clinic, and a need for greater convenience, and 3) Fear or discomfort associated with needle pricks. On the other hand, a major concern with self-testing is the need for confirmatory testing, and in particular the need for linkage to care among those testing positive.
Principal Investigator : Omar Juma
Department Name :
Time frame: (2019-10-18) - (2020-02-29)
Medical University of South Carolina (Normal)
External Collaborating Partners
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