HIV self-testing knowledge and attitudes at sports-based HIV prevention tournaments in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

HIV remains a major health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, and innovations—such as HIV self-testing (HST)—that break down barriers to testing are required to move toward elimination. Four anonymous cross-sectional surveys were conducted assessing HST knowledge and attitudes among sports-based HIV prevention tournament attendees in Nairobi, Kenya. Results suggest HST may increase testing rates in this population. Participants expressed interest in using HST and were willing to use HST as a tool to motivate others. This poses a unique opportunity for a community intervention aimed to increase knowledge of HST, and to increase HIV testing rates using HST kits.

Keywords:

• Community health outreach
• HIV
• HIV self-testing
• sports-based HIV prevention
• sub-Saharan Africa

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the study staff at Vijana Amani Pamoja for their assistance, and the study participants for their time and effort, as this research would not be possible without their data.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts or declarations of interest.

Additional information

Funding

South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute under NIH/NCATS UL1 TR001450; the Medical University of South Carolina’s Center for Global Health (CGH), National Center for Research Resources under Grants UL1RR029882 and UL1TR000062, and NCATS through Grants TL1 TR001451 & UL1 TR001450. None of these sources of support had any involvement in study design, analysis of data, writing of the report, or submission for publication.