RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral treatment (ART) is the most effective clinical intervention for reducing morbidity and mortality among persons living with HIV. However, in Uganda, there are disparities between men and women in viral load suppression and related HIV care engagement outcomes, which suggests problems with the implementation of ART. Gender norms are a known driver of HIV disparities in sub-Saharan Africa, and patient-provider relationships are a key factor in HIV care engagement; therefore, the role of gender norms is important to consider in interventions to achieve the equitable provision of treatment and the quality of ART counseling. METHODS: The overall research objective of this study is to pilot test an implementation strategy (i.e., methods to improve the implementation of an evidence-based intervention) to increase providers' capacity to provide gender-responsive treatment and counseling to men and women on HIV treatment in Uganda. Delivered to HIV providers, this group training adapts evidence-based strategies to reduce gender biases and increase skills to deliver gender-specific and transformative HIV counseling to patients. The implementation strategy will be piloted through a quasi-experimental controlled trial. Clinics will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control conditions. The trial will assess feasibility and acceptability and explore barriers and facilitators to implementation and future adoption while gathering preliminary evidence on the implementation strategy's effectiveness by comparing changes in patient (N = 240) and provider (N = 80-140) outcomes across intervention and control clinics through 12-month follow-up. Quantitative data will be descriptively analyzed, qualitative data will be analyzed through thematic analysis, and these data will be mixed during the presentation and interpretation of results where appropriate. DISCUSSION: This pilot intervention trial will gather preliminary evidence on the acceptability, feasibility, and potential effect of a novel implementation strategy to improve men and women's HIV care engagement, with the potential to reduce gender disparities in HIV outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05178979 , retrospectively registered on January 5, 2022.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: In Uganda, HIV testing rates are approximately 90% among women in antenatal care, with male rates much lower. The World Health Organization has recommended HIV self-testing (HIVST), and one promising model is for women in antenatal care to deliver HIVST kits to their male partners. We investigated the impact of this model on male partner testing rates. SETTING: Three high-volume antenatal clinics in central Uganda. METHODS: We implemented a cluster-randomized controlled trial comparing standard of care to intervention, with the primary outcome of self-reported male partner HIV testing. Women and male partners were followed at 1 and 3 months. We used unadjusted analyses and log-linear models with an intent-to-treat approach accounting for clustering. RESULTS: Study coordinators randomized 1514 women (777 intervention and 737 control). Baseline characteristics were balanced across arms with mean age (SD) of 25.2 (5.5) years and >44% with secondary education or higher. More male partners tested for HIV in intervention [576/746 (77.2%)] versus control [264/709 (37.2%)], P < 0.01. We identified 34 HIV-positive men in intervention versus 10 in control, with 6/26 (23%) and 4/6 (67%), respectively, reporting linking to care. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate an enormous increase in self-reported partner HIV testing when HIVST is available at home. However, men testing positive through HIVST appeared less likely to link to care than men testing positive at a clinic. These results highlight the potential of HIVST in increasing HIV testing rates, while underscoring the importance of developing effective approaches to maximizing linkage to care among those testing positive through HIVST.