Evaluating the effect of HIV prevention strategies on uptake of HIV counselling and testing among male most-at-risk-populations in Nigeria; a cross-sectional analysis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of three strategies in increasing uptake of HIV counselling and testing (HCT) among male most-at-risk-population (M-MARPs) using programmatic data.


METHODS
HIV prevention strategies were evaluated in a cross-sectional analysis.


METHODS
Three HCT strategies were implemented between July 2009 and July 2012 among men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in four states in Nigeria. The first strategy (S1), involved key opinion leaders (KOLs) who referred M-MARPs to health facilities for HCT. The second strategy (S2) involved KOLs referring M-MARPs to nearby mobile HCT teams while the third (S3) involved mobile M-MARPs peers conducting the HCT. χ(2) statistics were used to test for differences in the distribution of categorical variables across groups while logistic regression was used to measure the effect of the different strategies while controlling for confounding factors.


RESULTS
A total of 1988, 14 726 and 14 895 M-MARPs were offered HCT through S1, S2 and S3 strategies, respectively. Overall, S3 (13%) identified the highest proportion of HIV-positive M-MARPs compared with S1 (9%) and S2 (3%), p≤0.001. Also S3 (13%) identified the highest proportion of new HIV diagnosis compared with S1 (8%) and S2 (3%), respectively, p≤0.001. When controlled for age, marital status and occupation, MSM reached via S3 were 9 times (AOR: 9.21; 95% CI 5.57 to 15.23) more likely to uptake HCT when compared with S1 while PWIDs were 21 times (AOR: 20.90; 95% CI 17.33 to 25.21) more likely to uptake to HCT compared with those reached via S1.


CONCLUSIONS
Peer-led HCT delivered by S3 had the highest impact on the total number of M-MARPs reached and in identifying HIV-positive M-MARPs and new testers. Training M-MARPs peers to provide HCT is a high impact approach in delivering HCT to M-MARPs.
Population Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
Sylvia
S
Adebajo
Population Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
George
G
Eluwa
Population Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
Jean
J
Njab
Population Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
Ayo
A
Oginni
Population Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
Francis
F
Ukwuije
Population Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
Babatunde
B
Ahonsi
Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Theo
T
Lorenc
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D037001:Directive Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology*; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
HIV; HOMOSEXUALITY; INJECTING DRUG USE; OUTREACH SERVICES; PROGRAM EVALUATION