Self-testing as strategy to increase the uptake of HIV testing in South Africa

Abstract

With better health care and greater access to antiretrovirals (ARVs) it has become important to increase the uptake of HIV testing. Major testing campaigns have been launched in South Africa, but no official provision exists for clients who prefer self-testing for HIV. The purpose of this study was to investigate which HIV-testing model (client-initiated, provider-initiated or self-testing) a sample of South Africans preferred and why. A semi-structured questionnaire was completed by 466 participants and 9 provinces were represented by the sample. The results indicated that 22.3% of the participants preferred self-testing for HIV (while 66.1% preferred client-initiated and 11.6% provider-initiated counselling and testing). Participants who preferred self-testing for HIV were predominantly (p