Researchers have advised hospitals to give HIV kits to men who have sex with other men, in order for SA to reach its targets.
The study was done with MSM in the high HIV-prevalence districts of Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga where 127 people were provided with their choice of blood or oral fluid self-screening HIV testing kits. Some 114 responded to follow-up interviews, three months and six months after receiving the tests. Forty-nine percent said they would prefer to obtain the kits from community organisations; 43% from a clinic; and 8% from a pharmacy. The majority could not afford to buy the kits.
They recommend that free or low-cost self-testing HIV kits should be made available to MSM through community based initiatives.However, Dr Peter Barron, a public health expert, sounded a note of caution when talking to GroundUp. It's a new intervention and needs more"rigorous checks and balances including whether it is cost-effective", he said.
But lead author of the study, Dr Oscar Radebe, told GroundUp that making the kits available would be cost-effective. The kit has instructions informing you what to do if the result is positive. It has a helpline number which you can call for assistance. If you screen HIV-positive, you will be linked to care though the helpline.
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