Can HIV self-testing reach first-time testers? A telephone survey among self-test end users in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal - Kra, Arsène Kouassi; Fosto, Arlette Simo; N’guessan, Kouassi Noël; Geoffroy, Olivier; Younoussa, Sidibé; Kabemba, Odé Kanku; Gueye, Papa Alioune; Ndeye, Pauline Dama; Rouveau, Nicolas; Boily, Marie-Claude; Silhol, Romain; d’Elbée, Marc; et al. (BMC Infectious Diseases, 2023)
Coverage of HIV testing remains sub-optimal in West Africa. Between 2019 and 2022, the ATLAS program distributed ~400 000 oral HIV self-tests (HIVST) in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal, prioritising female sex workers (FSW) and men having sex with men (MSM), and relying on secondary redistribution of HIVST to partners, peers and clients to reach individuals not tested through conventional testing. This study assesses the proportion of first-time testers among HIVST users and the associated factors.
Keywords: journalArticle; Côte d’Ivoire; HIV self-testing; Key populations; Mali; Phone‐based survey; Senegal; West Africa