HIV status awareness is key
to prevention, linkage-to-care and treatment. Our study evaluated the
accessibility and potential willingness of HIV self-testing among men who have
sex with men (MSM) and transgender women in Peru.
We surveyed four pharmacy chains in Peru to ascertain the commercial availability of the oral HIV self-test. The pharmacies surveyed confirmed that HIV self-test kits were available; however, those available were not intended for individual use, but for clinician use.
We interviewed 147 MSM and 45 transgender women; nearly all (82%) reported willingness to perform the oral HIV self-test. However, only 55% of participants would definitely seek a confirmatory test in a clinic after an HIV-positive test result. Further, price may be a barrier, as HIV self-test kits were available for 18 USD, and MSM and transgender women were only willing to pay an average of 5 USD.
HIV self-testing may facilitate increased access to HIV testing among some MSM/transgender women in Peru. However, price may prevent use, and poor uptake of confirmatory testing may limit linkage to HIV treatment and care.
We surveyed four pharmacy chains in Peru to ascertain the commercial availability of the oral HIV self-test. The pharmacies surveyed confirmed that HIV self-test kits were available; however, those available were not intended for individual use, but for clinician use.
We interviewed 147 MSM and 45 transgender women; nearly all (82%) reported willingness to perform the oral HIV self-test. However, only 55% of participants would definitely seek a confirmatory test in a clinic after an HIV-positive test result. Further, price may be a barrier, as HIV self-test kits were available for 18 USD, and MSM and transgender women were only willing to pay an average of 5 USD.
HIV self-testing may facilitate increased access to HIV testing among some MSM/transgender women in Peru. However, price may prevent use, and poor uptake of confirmatory testing may limit linkage to HIV treatment and care.
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By:
- 1Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
- 2Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA.
- 3Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA dvoradavey@ucla.edu.
- 4Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru Epicentro Salud, Lima, Peru.
- 5Barton Health Center, Health Directorate of Callao, Lima, Peru.
- 6Center for Healthy Communities, Division of Clinical Sciences, UCR School of Medicine, Riverside, CA USA.
- 7Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Int J STD AIDS. 2016 Jan 29. pii: 0956462416630674.
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