Apr 14, 2016

Harsha Thirumurthy conducted research in Kenya about HIV self-testing and explored a promising strategy for reducing the risk of HIV infection in certain populations. Thirumurthy is a Carolina Population Center Faculty Fellow and an Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Thirumurthy says: “The article describes the results of implementing an exciting new intervention that utilized HIV self-tests to achieve key HIV prevention objectives. We showed that provision of multiple HIV self-tests to women at high risk of HIV infection was successful in promoting HIV testing among their sexual partners and in facilitating safer sexual decisions. This is a novel strategy that is likely to receive further consideration as countries are developing self-testing policies and programs.”

The article is published by The Lancet HIV.

The article is Promoting male partner HIV testing and safer sexual decision making through secondary distribution of self-tests by HIV-negative female sex workers and women receiving.

Authors are: Harsha Thirumurthy, Samuel H. Masters, Sue Napierala Mavedzenge, Suzanne Maman, Eunice Omanga, and Kawango Agot.

The Lancet HIV also published an Editorial Commentary by two experts in the field, Cheryl C Johnson and Elizabeth L Corbett. The Commentary is HIV self-testing to scale up couples and partner testing.

The research study Pilot Study of HIV Self-Testing as a Partner Selection Strategy is funded The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.