title: 'I Know that I Do Have HIV but Nobody Saw Me': Oral HIV Self-Testing in an Informal Settlement in South Africa.
abstract: Reaching universal HIV-status awareness is crucial to ensure all HIV-infected patients access antiretroviral treatment (ART) and achieve virological suppression. Opportunities for HIV testing could be enhanced by offering self-testing in populations that fear stigma and discrimination when accessing conventional HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) in health care facilities. This qualitative research aims to examine the feasibility and acceptability of unsupervised oral self-testing for home use in an informal settlement of South Africa. Eleven in-depth interviews, two couple interviews, and two focus group discussions were conducted with seven healthcare workers and thirteen community members. Thematic analysis was done concurrently with data collection. Acceptability to offer home self-testing was demonstrated in this research. Home self-testing might help this population overcome barriers to accepting HCT; this was particularly expressed in the male and youth groups. Nevertheless, pilot interventions must provide evidence of potential harm related to home self-testing, intensify efforts to offer quality counselling, and ensure linkage to HIV/ART-care following a positive self-test result.
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martínez Pérez
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Southern Africa Medical Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ellman
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Patten
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shroufi
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.|Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health & Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stinson
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Cutsem
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Maryrene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibeto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016353:Self-Examination; D013019:South Africa