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Zhang Y, Wiseman V, Applegate TL, Lourenco RDA, Street DJ, Smith K, Jamil MS, Terris-Prestholt F, Fairley CK, McNulty A, Hynes A, Johnson K, Chow EPF, Bavinton BR, Grulich A, Stoove M, Holt M, Kaldor J, Guy R, Ong JJ. Preferences for HIV Testing Services and HIV Self-Testing Distribution Among Migrant Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Australia. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:839479. [PMID: 35514755 PMCID: PMC9063480 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.839479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In Australia, undiagnosed HIV rates are much higher among migrant gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) than Australian-born GBMSM. HIV self-testing is a promising tool to overcome barriers to HIV testing and improve HIV testing uptake among migrant GBMSM. We compared the preferences for HIV testing services, including HIV self-testing, among migrant and Australian-born GBMSM. Methods Preferences were assessed via two discrete choice experiments (DCEs). Participants were recruited between December 2017 and January 2018 using online and offline advertising and randomly assigned to complete one of two online DCE surveys. Migrant GBMSM were classified as being born in a country with a reciprocal healthcare agreement (RHCA) with Australia (providing free or subsided health care) or not. Latent class analysis and mixed logit models were used to explore heterogeneity in preferences. Findings We recruited 1,606 GBMSM, including 583 migrant men of whom 419 (72%) were born in non-RHCA countries. Most participants preferred a free or cheap oral test with higher accuracy and a shorter window period to facilitate early detection of infections. Cost was more important for men born in non-RHCA countries than for men from RHCA countries or Australia. All groups preferred accessing kits through online distributers or off the shelf purchasing from pharmacies. Men born in RHCA countries least preferred accessing HIV self-testing kits from a medical clinic, while more than half of men from non-RHCA countries most preferred sourcing kits from a clinic. Sex-on-premises venues were the least preferred location to access test kits among all groups. In addition, two latent class analyses explored heterogeneity in preferences among men from non-RHCA countries and we found four latent classes for HIV testing services and two latent classes for HIVST distribution. Interpretation Our findings emphasise the need for high-performing and low-cost HIV self-testing kits that are accessible from a variety of distribution points as a component of Australia's HIV response, especially for those who do not have access to free or subsidised health care in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhang
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,*Correspondence: Ye Zhang
| | - Virginia Wiseman
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tanya L. Applegate
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard De Abreu Lourenco
- Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Deborah J. Street
- Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kirsty Smith
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Muhammad S. Jamil
- Global Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis and Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Programmes, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Fern Terris-Prestholt
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher K. Fairley
- Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna McNulty
- Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia,School of Population Health, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam Hynes
- Thorne Harbour Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Eric P. F. Chow
- Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Benjamin R. Bavinton
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Grulich
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Martin Holt
- Centre for Social Research in Health, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John Kaldor
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rebecca Guy
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason J. Ong
- Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Marukutira T, Gray RT, Douglass C, El-Hayek C, Moreira C, Asselin J, Donovan B, Vickers T, Spelman T, Crowe S, Guy R, Stoove M, Hellard M. Gaps in the HIV diagnosis and care cascade for migrants in Australia, 2013-2017: A cross-sectional study. PLoS Med 2020; 17:e1003044. [PMID: 32155145 PMCID: PMC7064172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, few studies compare progress toward the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Fast-Track targets among migrant populations. Fast-Track targets are aligned to the HIV diagnosis and care cascade and entail achieving 90-90-90 (90% of people living with HIV [PLHIV] diagnosed, 90% of those diagnosed on treatment, and 90% of those on treatment with viral suppression [VS]) by 2020 and 95-95-95 by 2030. We compared cascades between migrant and nonmigrant populations in Australia. METHODS AND FINDINGS We conducted a serial cross-sectional survey for HIV diagnosis and care cascades using modelling estimates for proportions diagnosed combined with a clinical database for proportions on treatment and VS between 2013-2017. We estimated the number of PLHIV and number diagnosed using New South Wales (NSW) and Victorian (VIC) data from the Australian National HIV Registry. Cascades were stratified by migration status, sex, HIV exposure, and eligibility for subsidised healthcare in Australia (reciprocal healthcare agreement [RHCA]). We found that in 2017, 17,760 PLHIV were estimated in NSW and VIC, and 90% of them were males. In total, 90% of estimated PLHIV were diagnosed. Of the 9,391 who were diagnosed and retained in care, most (85%; n = 8,015) were males. We excluded 38% of PLHIV with missing data for country of birth, and 41% (n = 2,408) of eligible retained PLHIV were migrants. Most migrants were from Southeast Asia (SEA; 28%), northern Europe (12%), and eastern Asia (11%). Most of the migrants and nonmigrants were males (72% and 83%, respectively). We found that among those retained in care, 90% were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% of those on ART had VS (i.e., 90-90-95). Migrants had larger gaps in their HIV diagnosis and care cascade (85-85-93) compared with nonmigrants (94-90-96). Similarly, there were larger gaps among migrants reporting male-to-male HIV exposure (84-83-93) compared with nonmigrants reporting male-to-male HIV exposure (96-92-96). Large gaps were also found among migrants from SEA (72-87-93) and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA; 89-93-91). Migrants from countries ineligible for RHCA had lower cascade estimates (83-85-92) than RHCA-eligible migrants (96-86-95). Trends in the HIV diagnosis and care cascades improved over time (2013 and 2017). However, there was no significant increase in ART coverage among migrant females (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.03; 95% CI 0.99-1.08; p = 0.154), nonmigrant females (IRR: 1.01; 95% CI 0.95-1.07; p = 0.71), and migrants from SEA (IRR: 1.03; 95% CI 0.99-1.07; p = 0.06) and SSA (IRR: 1.03; 95% CI 0.99-1.08; p = 0.11). Additionally, there was no significant increase in VS among migrants reporting male-to-male HIV exposure (IRR: 1.02; 95% CI 0.99-1.04; p = 0.08). The major limitation of our study was a high proportion of individuals missing data for country of birth, thereby limiting migrant status categorisation. Additionally, we used a cross-sectional instead of a longitudinal study design to develop the cascades and used the number retained as opposed to using all individuals diagnosed to calculate the proportions on ART. CONCLUSIONS HIV diagnosis and care cascades improved overall between 2013 and 2017 in NSW and VIC. Cascades for migrants had larger gaps compared with nonmigrants, particularly among key migrant populations. Tracking subpopulation cascades enables gaps to be identified and addressed early to facilitate achievement of Fast-Track targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tafireyi Marukutira
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Caitlin Douglass
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Carol El-Hayek
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Clarissa Moreira
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jason Asselin
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Basil Donovan
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Tim Spelman
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Suzanne Crowe
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rebecca Guy
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark Stoove
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Margaret Hellard
- Public Health Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Keen P, Gray RT, Telfer B, Guy R, Schmidt HM, Whittaker B, Holden J, Holt M, Kelleher A, Wilson D, Callander D, Cooper DA, Prestage G, Selvey C, Grulich AE. The 2016 HIV diagnosis and care cascade in New South Wales, Australia: meeting the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. J Int AIDS Soc 2019; 21:e25109. [PMID: 29676000 PMCID: PMC5909111 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The HIV Strategy in New South Wales (NSW) Australia aims to virtually eliminate HIV transmission by 2020. We estimated the 2016 HIV diagnosis and care cascade for the state of NSW, with a focus on introducing population‐based data to improve data quality and assess progress towards the UNAIDS 90‐90‐90 targets. Methods To estimate the number of people living with diagnosed HIV (PLDHIV) we used NSW data from the Australian National HIV Registry, enhanced by surveillance among people recently diagnosed with HIV to improve migration estimates. The number of undiagnosed PLHIV was estimated using back‐projection modelling by CD4 count at diagnosis. De‐duplicated prescription claims data were obtained from the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and were combined with an estimate for those ineligible, to determine the number of PLDHIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Data from a clinic network with 87% coverage of PLDHIV in NSW enabled the estimation of the number on ART who had HIV suppression. Results and discussion We estimated that 10,110 PLHIV resided in NSW in 2016 (range 8400 to 11,720), among whom 9230 (91.3%) were diagnosed, and 8490 (92.0% of those diagnosed) were receiving ART. Among PLDHIV receiving ART, 8020 (94.5%) had suppressed viral load (<200 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL). Overall, 79.3% of all PLHIV had HIV virological suppression. Conclusion NSW has met each of the UNAIDS 90‐90‐90 targets. The enhanced surveillance methods and data collection systems improved data quality. Measuring and meeting the 90‐90‐90 targets is feasible and could be achieved in comparable parts of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Keen
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Rebecca Guy
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Jo Holden
- NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia
| | - Martin Holt
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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