Brett Hadlow
Clinical posts from members and guests of the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) from various international medical and scientific conferences on HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis, and sexual health.
HIV Self sampling
Findings from the national online HIV self-sampling service in England. (Luis Guerra).
I found this talk to be if interest because in NSW we have launched the Dried Blood Spot - Home HIV self testing.
In England - eligible participants go to a website - WWW.freetesting.hiv and answer a. Few questions and then get a box sent the address they register.
The person then follows the instructions in the kit and utilising a lancet leaves a blood spot which is then posted back for testing.
Results are then sent out within 3 days via the delivery method the participant chooses.
If the result shows Reactive - the participant is contacted via phone and notified of the Reactive result - explaining the possible outcomes of a reactive result (Explaining it doesn't mean its a positive test).
The participant is given the details of local clinics and services and offered an appointment or they are able to book themselves.
Of the 40726 kits sent out - 22085 were returned. That's a 54% return rate.
There were 239 reactive samples.
Of those that tested 30% had never had a test. And 32% last tested over 1 year ago.
I hope that the NSW Dried blood spot testing program has such a high return rate and that we are able to capture the amount of people that otherwise would not have tested.