How Do We Get Partners to Test for HIV?: Predictors of Uptake of Partner HIV Testing Following Individual Outpatient Provider Initiated HIV Testing in Rural Uganda

Abstract

In a sample of outpatients (152 females, 152 males) receiving individual provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling (PITC) we aimed to identify factors associated with subsequent uptake of partner HIV testing. Purposively sampled outpatients receiving PITC at a Ugandan hospital completed a questionnaire immediately prior to testing for HIV, and then at 3 and 6 months post-test. By 6-month follow-up 96% of participants reported disclosing their HIV test results to their partner and 96.4% reported asking their partner to test. 38.8% of women and 78.9% of men reported that their partner tested and they knew their results. Recent (men: AOR 5.84, 95.0% CI 1.90–17.99; women AOR 6.19, 95.0% CI 2.74–13.59) or any previous testing by the partner (women: AOR 4.01, 95% CI 1.06–15.10) predicted uptake of partner testing by the 6-month follow-up. Among women, perceiving greater social support from their partner, which perhaps reflects better relationship quality, was predictive of their male partner testing for HIV (AOR 2.37, 95% CI 1.22–4.58). Notably intimate partner violence showed no negative association with partner testing. Our findings demonstrate that women are at a disadvantage compared to men in their ability to influence their partner to test for HIV, and that improving social support in intimate relationships should be a focus of HIV partner testing interventions. However, more research on interventions to improve partner testing is needed, particularly in identifying effective ways to support women in engaging their partners to test.

<p>Rate of Couple HIV Testing in a Prenatal Care Clinic and Factors Associated with Refusal of Testing Among Male Partners</p>

“…17 A study conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa found that issuing invitation letters also had no effect on HIV testing rates in partners, but that enhanced psychosocial interventions and complex community interventions increased male partner involvement and the uptake of PMTCT services to a greater extent than any other intervention. 18 Another related study in Uganda also suggested that future work should consider multi-level approaches to partner testing, focusing not only on interpersonal factors, but also on structural and healthsystem level factors 19 such as home-based voluntary counseling and testing (VCT; 20), routine HIV counseling and testing, 18,20 and self-test kits 21 in order to increase male partners' involvement in HIV testing. Another cause of the low rate of male partner HIV testing in our study might be that government hospitals in Thailand allow free HIV testing twice per year.…”

Forced sexual intercourse and its association with HIV status among people attending HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing in a healthcare center in Kinshasa (DRC)

“…With regards to sexual violence among men, although in SSA men are usually considered as perpetrators [47], they can also be victims [48]. There are few data on the prevalence of men’s experience of sexual violence but national estimates between 6% and 27% have been described for different Southern African countries [1,49–52]. There are almost no data available from Kinshasa regarding the prevalence of sexual violence suffered by men.…”

Acceptability of an Intervention to Promote Viral Suppression and Serostatus Disclosure for Men Living with HIV in South Africa: Qualitative Findings

“…Harnessing masculine norms that promote responsibility for building and supporting healthy families may increase men's HIV care engagement [50,52,53,58,60,61]. We leveraged these cultural and gender norms [59] to develop care centered on men's needs.…”

“…While men are eager to have HIV-uninfected children, they do not receive reproductive counseling to achieve this goal [ 41 , 50 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 ]. Harnessing masculine norms that promote responsibility for building and supporting healthy families may increase men’s HIV care engagement [ 50 , 52 , 53 , 58 , 60 , 61 ]. We leveraged these cultural and gender norms [ 59 ] to develop care centered on men’s needs.…”