Formative research to inform the development of a peer-led HIV self-testing intervention to improve HIV testing uptake and linkage to HIV care among adolescents, young people and adult men in Kasensero fishing community, Rakai, Uganda: a qualitative study
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC Public Health
Abstract
Despite efforts to improve HIV testing and linkage to HIV care among adolescents, young people and
adult men, uptake rates remain below global targets. We conducted formative research to generate data necessary
to inform the design of a peer-led HIV self-testing (HIVST) intervention intended to improve HIV testing uptake and
linkage to HIV care in Kasensero fishing community in rural Uganda.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in three study communities in Kasensero fishing community in Rakai
district, Uganda, in May 2019. Six single-sex focus group discussions (FGDs) comprising 7–8 participants were
conducted with adolescents and young people (15–24 years) and adult men (25+ years). We collected data on
people’s perceptions about peer-led HIVST; potential acceptability of a peer-led HIVST intervention and suggestions on
how to improve linkage to HIV care after a positive HIVST result. Peer-led HIVST was defined as an approach where
trained lay people distribute HIVST kits to other people in the community. FGDs were audio-recorded with permission
from the participants, transcribed verbatim and analysed manually following a thematic framework approach.
Results: Forty-seven participants (31 men and 16 women) participated in the FGDs. Across communities and agegroups,
most participants mentioned that peer-led HIVST would be generally acceptable to people in the fishing
community but people will need support in performing the test due to fear of performing the test wrongly or failing
to cope with HIV-positive results. Most participants felt that peer-led HIVST would bring HIV testing services closer to
the community “because [the peer-leader] could be my immediate neighbour”, making it easier for people to obtain the kits at any time of their convenience. To improve linkage to HIV care, participants felt that the use of peer-leaders to
deliver the initial ART dose to self-tested HIV-positive individuals would be more preferable to the use of communitybased
ART groups or home-based ART initiation.
Description
Keywords
Peer-led, HIV, Self-testing, Fishing community
Citation
Matovu, J. K., Nambuusi, A., Nakabirye, S., Wanyenze, R. K., & Serwadda, D. (2020). Formative research to inform the development of a peer-led HIV self-testing intervention to improve HIV testing uptake and linkage to HIV care among adolescents, young people and adult men in Kasensero fishing community, Rakai, Uganda: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1-16.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09714-1