Reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV retesting: a cross-sectional study in Eswatini

Quint Olislagers; Frank van Leth; Fortunate Shabalala; Njabuliso Dlamini; Njabulo Simelane; Nelisiwe Masilela; Gabriela B Gomez; Christopher Pell; Eva Vernooij; Ria Reis; Marjan Molemans

doi:10.1080/09540121.2022.2142930

Reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV retesting: a cross-sectional study in Eswatini

Quint Olislagers, Frank van Leth, Fortunate Shabalala, Njabuliso Dlamini, Njabulo Simelane, Nelisiwe Masilela, Gabriela B Gomez, Christopher Pell, Eva Vernooij, Ria Reis, Marjan Molemans^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Eswatini has a high HIV prevalence but has made progress towards improving HIV-status awareness, ART uptake and viral suppression. However, there is still a delay in ART initiation, which could partly be attributed to positive HIV-retesting. This study examines reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV-retesting among MaxART participants in Eswatini. Data from 601 participants is included in this cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used. Of the participants, 32.8% has ever retested after a previous positive result. Most participants who retested did this because they could not accept their results (61.9% of all retesters). Other main reasons are related to external influences, gender or the progression of their HIV infection (respectively 18.3%, 10.2%, and 6.1% of all retesters). Participants without a current partner and participants with less time since their first positive test have lower odds of retesting. To decrease retesting and reduce the delay in ART initiation resulting from it, efforts could be made on increasing the acceptance of positive HIV results. Providing more information on the process of testing and importance of early ART initiation, could be part of the solution.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1346-1353
Number of pages	8
Journal	Aids care
Volume	35
Issue number	9
Early online date	30 Nov 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2022.2142930
Publication status	Published - 2023
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Funding

The MaxART consortium received support of the Dutch Postcode Lottery in the Netherlands, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa/ Mozambique, British Colombia Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Canada, Mylan and Médecins Sans Frontières. We thank everyone who contributed to the execution and data collection of the Max ART trial and the social science component. We also thank the Max ART partners, study team, healthcare providers and patients at study sites for their cooperation during the study.

Funders	Funder number
British Colombia Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Canada
Mylan and Médecins Sans Frontières

Keywords

HIV
retesting
repeat testing
test-and-treat
Eswatini

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1080/09540121.2022.2142930Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Reasons for and factors associated with positive HIV retesting a cross sectional study in EswatiniFinal published version, 1.42 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{840c51cfc3054bcd8d068a0d205061b1,

title = "Reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV retesting: a cross-sectional study in Eswatini",

abstract = "Eswatini has a high HIV prevalence but has made progress towards improving HIV-status awareness, ART uptake and viral suppression. However, there is still a delay in ART initiation, which could partly be attributed to positive HIV-retesting. This study examines reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV-retesting among MaxART participants in Eswatini. Data from 601 participants is included in this cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used. Of the participants, 32.8\% has ever retested after a previous positive result. Most participants who retested did this because they could not accept their results (61.9\% of all retesters). Other main reasons are related to external influences, gender or the progression of their HIV infection (respectively 18.3\%, 10.2\%, and 6.1\% of all retesters). Participants without a current partner and participants with less time since their first positive test have lower odds of retesting. To decrease retesting and reduce the delay in ART initiation resulting from it, efforts could be made on increasing the acceptance of positive HIV results. Providing more information on the process of testing and importance of early ART initiation, could be part of the solution.",

keywords = "HIV, retesting, repeat testing, test-and-treat, Eswatini",

author = "Quint Olislagers and \{van Leth\}, Frank and Fortunate Shabalala and Njabuliso Dlamini and Njabulo Simelane and Nelisiwe Masilela and Gomez, \{Gabriela B\} and Christopher Pell and Eva Vernooij and Ria Reis and Marjan Molemans",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor \& Francis Group.",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.1080/09540121.2022.2142930",

language = "English",

volume = "35",

pages = "1346--1353",

journal = "Aids care",

issn = "0954-0121",

publisher = "Routledge",

number = "9",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV retesting

T2 - a cross-sectional study in Eswatini

AU - Olislagers, Quint

AU - van Leth, Frank

AU - Shabalala, Fortunate

AU - Dlamini, Njabuliso

AU - Simelane, Njabulo

AU - Masilela, Nelisiwe

AU - Gomez, Gabriela B

AU - Pell, Christopher

AU - Vernooij, Eva

AU - Reis, Ria

AU - Molemans, Marjan

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Eswatini has a high HIV prevalence but has made progress towards improving HIV-status awareness, ART uptake and viral suppression. However, there is still a delay in ART initiation, which could partly be attributed to positive HIV-retesting. This study examines reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV-retesting among MaxART participants in Eswatini. Data from 601 participants is included in this cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used. Of the participants, 32.8% has ever retested after a previous positive result. Most participants who retested did this because they could not accept their results (61.9% of all retesters). Other main reasons are related to external influences, gender or the progression of their HIV infection (respectively 18.3%, 10.2%, and 6.1% of all retesters). Participants without a current partner and participants with less time since their first positive test have lower odds of retesting. To decrease retesting and reduce the delay in ART initiation resulting from it, efforts could be made on increasing the acceptance of positive HIV results. Providing more information on the process of testing and importance of early ART initiation, could be part of the solution.

AB - Eswatini has a high HIV prevalence but has made progress towards improving HIV-status awareness, ART uptake and viral suppression. However, there is still a delay in ART initiation, which could partly be attributed to positive HIV-retesting. This study examines reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV-retesting among MaxART participants in Eswatini. Data from 601 participants is included in this cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used. Of the participants, 32.8% has ever retested after a previous positive result. Most participants who retested did this because they could not accept their results (61.9% of all retesters). Other main reasons are related to external influences, gender or the progression of their HIV infection (respectively 18.3%, 10.2%, and 6.1% of all retesters). Participants without a current partner and participants with less time since their first positive test have lower odds of retesting. To decrease retesting and reduce the delay in ART initiation resulting from it, efforts could be made on increasing the acceptance of positive HIV results. Providing more information on the process of testing and importance of early ART initiation, could be part of the solution.

KW - HIV

KW - retesting

KW - repeat testing

KW - test-and-treat

KW - Eswatini

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85143401877

U2 - 10.1080/09540121.2022.2142930

DO - 10.1080/09540121.2022.2142930

M3 - Article

C2 - 36449635

SN - 0954-0121

VL - 35

SP - 1346

EP - 1353

JO - Aids care

JF - Aids care

IS - 9

ER -

Reasons for, and factors associated with, positive HIV retesting: a cross-sectional study in Eswatini

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this