Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2025
19:57
An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings
Published on: March 30, 2014
18.6K
HIV self-testing enabled access to testing for Black persons: The GetaKit study
Patrick O'Byrne1, Alexandra Musten1, Lance McCready2
1School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa, Canada.
Research in Nursing & Health
|December 27, 2022
Summary
Free at-home HIV self-testing increased access for many in Ontario, including Black communities. However, further efforts are needed to boost uptake and results reporting among African, Caribbean, and Black individuals and women.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- HIV/AIDS Research
Background:
- New HIV diagnoses disproportionately impact gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and individuals of African, Caribbean, or Black (ACB) ethnicities in Ontario.
- HIV testing is crucial for timely treatment initiation and viral load suppression, key to controlling the epidemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of offering free, mail-out HIV self-testing kits through the GetaKit study in Ontario.
- To assess testing uptake and characteristics among different demographic groups, particularly ACB individuals and women.
Main Methods:
- The GetaKit study distributed free INSTI® HIV self-testing kits via an online platform (GetaKit.ca) to eligible Ontario residents.
- Data were collected from April 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022, with 1551 kits distributed.
- Demographic data, including ethnicity and risk factors for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A total of 1551 individuals received kits; 40% identified as white and 26% as ACB.
- ACB participants were less likely to meet PrEP criteria (e.g., prior STIs, drug use) despite similar HIV test positivity rates compared to white participants.
- ACB women did not show increased rates of first-time HIV testing, suggesting a need for targeted interventions.
Conclusions:
- At-home HIV self-testing can increase testing accessibility, particularly for Black communities in Ontario.
- Strategies are needed to enhance the uptake of HIV self-testing and improve results reporting among ACB populations and women.
- Community engagement with organizations like AIDS Committee of Ottawa and Black Cap was integral to study design and promotion.
