HIV self-testing in Argentina: acceptability and use of an oral-based test among men who have sex with men (MSM)

Résumé fourni par la source

This study assessed the acceptability and use of oral HIV self-testing (HIVST) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Argentina, a key population with high HIV prevalence. The study was conducted in three phases between 2021 and 2023. Phase I evaluated awareness and willingness to use HIVST (n = 505); Phase II assessed diagnostic accuracy during supervised use (n = 102); and Phase III evaluated feasibility through unsupervised testing (n = 100). In Phase I, 20.6% (104/505) of participants had not undergone HIV testing in the previous year, while 35.8% (181/505) were aware of HIVST. Notably, 92.7% (468/505) reported that they were likely to test more frequently if HIVST were available, citing confidentiality and autonomy as the main reasons for their preference. In Phase II, 102 seronegative MSM performed supervised HIVST, achieving 93.1% (95/102) accuracy. In Phase III, 100 volunteers received the HIVST kit, and 95% (95/100) reported having used it. Among the 86 participants who completed the follow-up survey, 90.7% (78/86) expressed willingness to use HIVST again, and 81.4% (70/86) indicated an intention to test more frequently if HIVST were accessible. These findings demonstrate high acceptability and feasibility of HIVST use among our sample of MSM in Argentina. Our results suggest that HIVST is a promising strategy that could potentially support the expansion of testing coverage and facilitate earlier diagnosis within this population, although further research is needed to measure its long-term impact on public health outcomes.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.