Faculty Collaboration Database

Willingness to Distribute HIV Self-Testing Kits to Recent Sex Partners Among HIV-Negative Gay and Bisexual Men and an Examination of Free-Response Data from Young Men Participating in the Nationwide Cohort. Arch Sex Behav 2020 Aug;49(6):2081-2089

Date

06/05/2020

Pubmed ID

32495242

Pubmed Central ID

PMC7366497

DOI

10.1007/s10508-020-01752-5

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85085969274 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   3 Citations

Abstract

Sexual minority men (SMM)-and young SMM in particular-are disproportionately affected by HIV. Secondary distribution of HIV self-testing (HIVST) kits-wherein patients deliver kits to partners-is a novel strategy to increase HIV testing access. Using quantitative data, we assessed willingness to distribute HIVST kits to recent sex partners among a U.S. national sample of HIV-negative SMM (n = 786). A thematic analysis was then conducted to identify barriers and facilitators of kit distribution to partners among young SMM (M age = 25.75 years; range: 20-29; n = 165). Overall, 93.5% of SMM (and 97.0% of young SMM) were willing to deliver HIVST kits to recent sex partners. Among young SMM, main barriers and facilitators included concerns about their partners' reaction, availability and cost, protection beliefs for others, HIV stigma and perceived infidelity, packaging and support, communication skill needs, inability to contact partners, requests for anonymity, and dyadic self-testing with their partners. The findings highlight the need for supportive intervention strategies such as informational content for HIVST, using motivational interviewing when providing the testing kits to index clients and providing skills-based training through role-playing exercises. Secondary distribution of HIVST kits through index patients is a potentially acceptable approach that could be used to expand access to HIV testing and aid in efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.

Author List

John SA, López-Rios J, Starks TJ, Rendina HJ, Grov C

Author

Steven A. John PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Cohort Studies
Data Collection
HIV Infections
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Sexual Partners
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Young Adult