Abstract
HIV testing is the gateway into both prevention and treatment services. It is important to understand how men who have sex with men (MSM) perceive HIV self-tests. We conducted focus groups and individual interviews to collect feedback on two HIV self-tests, and on a dried blood spot (DBS) specimen collection kit. Perceptions and attitudes around HIV self-testing (HIVST), and willingness to distribute HIV self-tests to others were assessed. MSM reported HIVST to be complementary to facility-based testing, and liked this approach because it offers privacy and convenience, does not require counseling, and could lead to linkage to care. However, they also had concerns around the accuracy of HIV self-tests, their cost, and receiving a positive test result without immediate access to follow-up services. Despite these issues, they perceived HIVST as a positive addition to their HIV prevention toolbox.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 47-62 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | AIDS Education and Prevention |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2018 |
Funding
Arin E. Freeman, MPH, Darrel Higa, PhD, Robin MacGowan, MPH, Pollyanna Chavez, PhD, A. D. McNaghten, PhD, and Wayne D. Johnson, PhD, are affiliated with the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia. Patrick Sullivan, PhD, and Laura Gravens, MPH, are affiliated with the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Akshay Sharma, PhD, is affiliated with the University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sabina Hirshfield, PhD, is affiliated with Public Health Solutions, New York, New York. George J. Greene, PhD, and Brian Mus-tanski, PhD, are affiliated with Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. We thank members of the eSTAMP Study Group. Funding for the eSTAMP project was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to MANILA Consulting Group Inc. under contract # 200-2011-41989. Study design and data collection were conducted by the contractor in accordance with a standardized protocol developed by the contractor and CDC. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Address correspondence to Arin E. Freeman, MPH, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. MS-37, Atlanta, GA 30329. E-mail: [email protected]
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases
