BMC Infectious Diseases Volume 22 Supplement 1 highlights key lessons from the STAR (Self-Testing AfrRica) Initiative. Launched eight years ago, STAR represents a pioneering effort in HIV self-testing research and implementation, leading the way in introducing and significantly expanding testing coverage.
This series of papers is a collaborative effort between Population Services International (PSI), the World Health Organization, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and other members of the STAR Consortium. It presents significant achievements and insights gained from the introduction, scale-up, and optimization of self-testing.
AWARENESS AND DEMAND GENERATION
- Did You Hear about HIV Self-Testing? HIV Self-Testing Awareness After Community-Based HIVST Distribution in Rural Zimbabwe. Read the article.
- “You have a self-testing method that preserves privacy so how come you cannot give us treatment that does too?” Exploring the Reasoning Among Young People About Linkage to Prevention, Care, and Treatment After HIV Self-Testing in Southern Malawi. Read the article.
ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY, AND PREFERENCE
- Sensitivity and Specificity of Oraquick® HIV Self-Test Compared to a Fourth Generation Laboratory Reference Standard Algorithm in Urban and Rural Zambia. Read the article.
- Preferences for Oral-Fluid-Based or Blood-Based HIV Self-Testing and Provider-Delivered Testing: An Observational Study Among Different Populations in Zimbabwe. Read the article.
- Accuracy of and Preference for Blood-Based Versus Oral Fluid-Based HIV Self-Testing in Malawi: A Cross-Sectional Study. Read the article.
DISTRIBUTION MODELS
- Do Community Measures Impact the Effectiveness of a Community-Led HIV Testing Intervention? Secondary Analysis of an HIV Self-Testing Intervention in Rural Communities in Zimbabwe. Read the article.
- Organisation of Testing Services, Structural Barriers and Facilitators of Routine HIV Self-Testing During Sexually Transmitted Infection Consultations: A Qualitative Study of Patients and Providers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Read the article.
- Lessons Learned from Implementation of Four HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) Distribution Models in Zambia: Applying the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to Understand Impact of Contextual Factors on Implementation. Read the article.
- “I take it and give it to my partners who will give it to their partners.” Secondary Distribution of HIV Self-Tests by Key Populations in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal. Read the article.
- Secondary Distribution of HIV Self-Test Kits by HIV Index and Antenatal Care Clients: Implementation and Costing Results from the STAR Initiative in South Africa. Read the article.
- Can HIV Self-Testing Reach First-Time Testers? A Telephone Survey Among Self-Test End Users in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal. Read the article.
COSTING AND FINANCING
- Costs of Distributing HIV Self-Testing Kits in Eswatini Through Community and Workplace Models. Read the article.
SOCIAL HARMS
- Experience of Social Harms Among Female Sex Workers Following HIV Self-Test Distribution in Malawi: Results of a Cohort Study. Read the article.