Effect of optional home initiation of HIV care following HIV self-testing on antiretroviral therapy initiation among adults in Malawi: a randomized clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Self-testing for HIV infection may contribute to early diagnosis of HIV, but without necessarily increasing antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation.

Objective

To investigate whether offering optional home initiation of HIV care after HIV self-testing might increase demand for ART initiation, compared with HIV self-testing accompanied by facility-based services only.

Design, setting, and participants

Cluster randomized trial conducted in Blantyre, Malawi, between January 30 and November 5, 2012, using restricted 1:1 randomization of 14 community health worker catchment areas. Participants were all adult (≥16 years) residents (n = 16,660) who received access to home HIV self-testing through resident volunteers. This was a second-stage randomization of cluster

SUBMITTER: MacPherson P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4118051 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul 23-30

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature