The Implementation of HIV Self-Testing in Resource-Limited Settings Where the HIV Disease Burden is High

• Main Authors: Pachamuthu Balakrishnan (Author), A. S. Smiline Girija (Author), Saravanan Shanmugam (Author), Iyanar Kannan (Author), Ramachandran Vignesh (Author), Esaki M. Shankar (Author), Sree T. Sucharitha (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A., 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1661-8564; 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605790
• Keywords: WHO; HIV/AIDS; 95-95-95 target; HIV self-testing; policy making; resource-limited settings; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: International Journal of Public Health, Vol 68 (2023)

In resource-limited settings, there is growing evidence that HIV testing is lacking among high-risk key populations such as men having sex with men, injection drug users, and transgenders largely due to stigma, discrimination, and lack of confidentiality. Findings from recent studies among high-risk key populations and the general population from various regions including resource-limited settings support the need for wider accessibility of HIV self-testing (HIV-ST) to reach those who may not otherwise have access to testing. Therefore, HIV-ST has untapped potential as a strategy to improve access to HIV testing and to increase testing frequency among key high-risk populations and their partners. Though HIV-ST has emerged as a safe, acceptable, and effective way to reach people, there are several roadblocks to implementing the HIV-ST policy, and fast-track policy implementation needs to be necessitated with newer or modified strategic plans.