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Bustamante MJ, Konda KA, Joseph Davey D, León SR, Calvo GM, Salvatierra J, Brown B, Caceres CF, Klausner JD. HIV self-testing in Peru: questionable availability, high acceptability but potential low linkage to care among men who have sex with men and transgender women. Int J STD AIDS 2016; 28:133-137. [PMID: 26826160 DOI: 10.1177/0956462416630674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jose Bustamante
- 1 Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Kelika A Konda
- 1 Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.,2 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA
| | - Dvora Joseph Davey
- 3 Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Segundo R León
- 1 Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gino M Calvo
- 1 Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.,4 Epicentro Salud, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Brandon Brown
- 6 Center for Healthy Communities, Division of Clinical Sciences, UCR School of Medicine, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Carlos F Caceres
- 1 Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development, and Laboratory of Sexual Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Jeffrey D Klausner
- 2 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA.,3 Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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