Acceptability, Feasibility and Impact of Oral HIV Self-testing for Partner Testing Among Kenyan Adolescent Girls Aged 15-19 Years: A Randomized Controlled Trial

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Treatments: Behavioral: Provision of multiple self-tests

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04805112

848410

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized controlled trial will assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of the provision of multiple oral-fluid based HIV self-test kits to HIV-negative adolescents aged 15-19 years to promote HIV testing among their sexual partners and couples testing.

Full description

This study will recruit HIV-negative adolescents girls (AG) aged 15-19 years in Siaya County, western Kenya. The study will evaluate the impact of the provision of oral HIV self-testing on uptake of testing among partners of adolescent girls. We will randomize about 300 sexually active AG to either an intervention group that receives multiple oral self-test kits that they can choose to offer to their sexual partner(s) or to a control group that will be given multiple referral coupons that their partners can use for HIV testing at pre-selected HIV testing services (HTS) sites. We will collect data on whether the kits were offered, to whom they were offered, if they were accepted, if they were used and with what results, if known, and if the partners who obtained HIV-positive results sought confirmatory testing. We will also conduct in-depth interviews with a sub-set adolescents to explore their experiences in offering HIV self-testing to their male partners.

This study has 4 specific aims: i) determine whether adolescent girls can safely offer oral HIV self-tests to their partners; ii) assess whether oral self-testing improves uptake of HIV testing among partners of adolescent girls; iii) document adverse events associated with offering oral self-testing to sexual partners of adolescent girls; and iv) qualitatively explore the experiences of adolescent girls when offering self-test kits to their partners.

Enrollment: 349 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 15 to 19 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Female
• Aged 15-19 years
• HIV-negative (willing to self-test onsite in the presence of the Research Assistant who is also a trained HIV counselor)
• Has at least one current sexual partner she expects to meet at least twice in the next 3 months (not necessarily to have sex); this will provide opportunity for the participant to suggest/offer testing.
• Resides in Siaya County and does not intend to relocate within 6 months from enrollment, to allow follow up to be completed and to conduct IDI with those selected.
• Willing to be randomized into the partner self-testing or HTS referral groups.
• Reporting no incident of sexual, physical, emotional, or economic abuse in the last 12 months from the partner she intends to offer (Appendix 4) or refer for testing (Appendix 3) in the next 3 months and does not believe the partner will abuse her if she offers the self-test kits or HTS referral coupon.
• Has a male partner who has not tested for 6 months or whose HIV status is unknown to her.
• Agrees to give consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Male
• HIV-positive
• Not willing to self-test onsite under in the presence of the Research Assistant
• Aged <15 years or >19 years
• Does not have a current sexual partner or does not expect to meet the partner at least twice in the next 3 months
• Does not reside in Siaya County or intends to relocate within the next 6 months
• Not interested in obtaining HIV self-tests or HTS referral coupon for purposes of suggesting testing to their sexual partners
• Reporting an incidence of sexual, physical, emotional or economic abuse in the last 12 months from the partner she would have offered self-test kit or referred for testing, or believes the partner may subject her to sexual, physical, emotional, or economic abuse if she offered them self-test kit or HTS coupon.
• Has a male partner who tested within the last 6 months.
• Does not give consent to participate in the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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349 participants in 2 patient groups

Provision of multiple self-tests

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to the intervention group will be given 2-3 HIV oral self-tests to offer to their sexual partner(s). The participant will be instructed to encourage their partner to test himself alone \[partner testing\] or with the participant \[couple testing\]; the partner will also be given a card with information on testing and a list of facilities where he can go for confirmatory testing. All participants will be encouraged to call a study helpline/hotline in the event of any adverse events that they or their sexual partners experience or if they need further instructions or information

Treatment:

Behavioral: Provision of multiple self-tests

Referral vouchers for clinic testing

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants randomized to the control group will be given multiple referral coupons for HIV testing at pre-selected HIV testing services (HTS) sites. The participant will be instructed to give the coupon to their sexual partner(s) and encourage him to go for HIV testing at pre-selected HTS sites, either alone \[partner testing\] or together with the participant \[couple testing\]. The coupon will also have information on testing and a list of facilities where he can go for HTS. All participants will be encouraged to call a study helpline/hotline in the event of any adverse events that they or their sexual partners experience or if they need further instructions or information