Increases in HIV status disclosure and sexual communication between South African men who have sex with men and their partners following use of HIV self-testing kits

Bibliographic Data

ID19444247
AuthorsYea-Hung Chen (Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA), Yea‐Hung Chen (0000-0002-7949-0692, University of California, San Francisco, corresponding author), H Gilmore (0000-0002-1584-3233, University of California, San Francisco), Hailey J Gilmore (Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA), Kabelo Maleke (0009-0009-1639-0721, Anova Health Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa), Timothy Lane (0000-0002-7116-9976, Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA), Timothy W Lane (0000-0001-5088-2193, University of California, San Francisco), Nkosinathi Zuma (Anova Health Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa), Oscar Radebe (Anova Health Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa), Albert Edgar Manyuchi (0000-0001-7189-6201, Anova Health Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa), James Mcintyre (0000-0002-9150-1059, University of Cape Town), James A McIntyre (Anova Health Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa), Sheri A Lippman (0000-0003-3152-9372, Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA)
Year2021
Volume33
Issue10
Pages1262-1269
Publication date2021-10-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAIDS Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0954-0121 • E-ISSN: 1360-0451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09540121.2020.1828564
PMID33021097
OpenAlexW3090697920
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited23

Availability of HIV self-testing may increase HIV testing frequency among men who have sex with men (MSM). It is unclear, however, if self-testing may impact HIV-related sexual behaviors among MSM, including HIV status disclosure and condom use. We conducted a mixed methods analysis of changes in HIV-related behaviors after HIV self-testing introduction, using data from 110 MSM participating in a feasibility and acceptability study of HIV self-testing in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. We found increased HIV status disclosure from study participants to sexual partners after HIV self-testing introduction, from 61.8% at baseline to 75.5% at 6-month follow-up (p = 0.04), but decreased condom use with female partners (p = 0.03). Qualitative interviews reveal that some participants used test results to inform condom use. Distribution of self-testing kits can improve mutual disclosure, but should be accompanied by information stressing that the tests may not detect early HIV infections or other sexually transmitted infections

Condom · Environmental health · Family medicine · Health services · Hiv test · Men who have sex with men · Population · Self-disclosure · Syphilis · Clinical Psychology · Demography · HIV Research and Treatment · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Gerontology