HIVST BACKGROUND Sample Clauses

HIVST BACKGROUND. Over the past decade, great progress has been made in expanding HIV testing services. Between 2010 and 2014, more than 600 million people in low- and middle-income countries received HIV testing services, and by 2018 it was estimated that 79 % of people with HIV were aware of their status.1 Yet, despite these achievements, 8.1 million people with HIV (PLHIV) remain unaware of their HIV positive status in 2019, particularly men and young people aged 15 to 24 years and key populations that are reluctant or unable to access existing services.2 If the global 95–95–953 targets are to be met then outreach to these key groups must be intensified and accompanied by innovations in methods for testing.4 HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) is a process whereby a person collects his or her own specimen (oral fluid or blood) using a simple rapid HIV test and then performs the test and interprets the result themselves. This testing method has been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an important complement to other testing strategies because it offers a discreet, convenient alternative for individuals who may otherwise not test.5 HIVST is highly acceptable,6, 7, 8, 9, 10 safe, and can be highly accurate.11, 12, 13 Adding HIVST to clinic-based HTS can increase coverage and frequency of HIV testing, including those less well served by established HTS approaches, such as rural populations, men, young people, and key populations.14, 15, 16 Current projections suggest that 15% of all 360 million HIV tests used each year, globally, will be self-tests by 2020, with highest percentages of 35%, 29%, 24%, 22% and 10% in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively.17 WHO conducted a systematic review to update the guidance on HIVST in December 2019 with the following key outcomes: • Thirty-two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed that HIVST increases the uptake of HIV testing as compared to standard facility-based HIV testing • Proportions of people diagnosed and linked to care with HIVST are comparable to those with facility- based testing. • Misuse of HIVST and social ▇▇▇▇▇ associated with HIVST are rare. No suicides were reported. HIVST does not increase sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men. • A range of HIVST service delivery models and support tools are found to be effective. • Many people are willing and able to perform HIVST with minimal support. • HIVST is acceptable and feasible in a range of populations and settings. • HIVST sh...