Acceptability and Feasibility of HIV Self-Testing Among Transgender Women in San Francisco: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study.
An estimated one in four transgender women (trans women) in the U.S. are infected with HIV. Rates of HIV testing are not commensurate with their risk, necessitating alternative strategies for early detection and care. We explored the feasibility and acceptability of HIV self-testing (HIVST) with 50 HIV-negative adult trans women in San Francisco. Participants received three self-test kits to perform once a month. Acceptability and behavioral surveys were collected as were 11 in-depth interviews (IDIs). Among 50 participants, 44 reported utilizing HIVST at least once; 94 % reported the test easy to use; 93 % said results were easy to read; and 91 % would recommend it to others. Most participants (68 %) preferred HIVST to clinic-based testing, although price was a key barrier to uptake. IDIs revealed a tension between desires for privacy versus support found at testing sites. HIVST for trans women was acceptable and feasible and requires careful consideration of linkage to support services.
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA. sheri.lippman@ucsf.edu.
Sheri A
SA
Lippman
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA.
Lissa
L
Moran
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA.
Jae
J
Sevelius
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA.|University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Leslie S
LS
Castillo
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA.
Angel
A
Ventura
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA.
Sarah
S
Treves-Kagan
San Francisco Department of Public Health, Bridge HIV, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Susan
S
Buchbinder
D000328:Adult; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012495:San Francisco; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063106:Transgender Persons; D055815:Young Adult
D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
HIV; HIV home-testing; HIV self-test; Trans women; Transgender women