Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2025
Genotypic Inference of HIV-1 Tropism Using Population-based Sequencing of V3
Published on: December 27, 2010
HIV self-testing in the real world is acceptable for many: post-test participant feedback from the GetaKit study in
Patrick O'Byrne1, Alexandra Musten2, Nikki Ho3
1Nurse Practitioner and Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Canada.
Background:
HIV self-testing is the latest strategy to improve access to testing, diagnosis and treatment. Such strategies are beneficial due to the improved individual- and population-level health outcomes that emerge from early HIV diagnosis.
Aims:
While most research shows that HIV self-testing is acceptable and feasible, yielding higher numbers of first-time testers and positivity rates, compared to clinic-based testing, little evidence exists outside low- and middle-income countries about such testing.
Methods:
We implemented GetaKit.ca, a website through which eligible participants could register for and obtain an INSTI® HIV self-testing to their home, and then report the result back.
Results:
Those who returned to the website were asked to complete a post-test survey, which had a low response rate (42%), but identified satisfaction scores of 92%. Notably, 5% of testers sought in-person care after ordering the self-test, and only 80% of participants agreed that the INSTI® HIV self-test was easy to use.
Conclusions:
Participants provided tangible solutions to improve this test, which we feel are easy to incorporate and essential to maintain HIV self-testing efforts.
