To thine own test be true: HIV self-testing and the global reach for the undiagnosed.
Wong, Vincent;
Jenkins, Erin;
Ford, Nathan;
Ingold, Heather;
(2019)
To thine own test be true: HIV self-testing and the global reach for the undiagnosed.
Journal of the International AIDS Society, 22 Sup (Suppl).
e25256.
ISSN 1758-2652
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25256
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Globally, we are at an inflection point in achieving UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 goals for 2030. A recent Lancet editorial observed that “the last big shared challenge remaining is testing—in every region the number of undiagnosed HIV infections remains a substantial barrier to achieving UNAIDS targets and ending AIDS by 2030” . While UNAIDS estimates we are at 75% diagnostic coverage globally, within this figure is great variation: between men and women, younger and older individuals, rural and urban populations, among key populations and between countries. After 18 years of expansive programming in global health for HIV testing through a multitude of modalities in communities and facilities, reaching the remaining undiagnosed individuals with flat-lined donor funding will require new efforts. Many of the remaining undiagnosed individuals are presumably not engaging with HIV services, and novel avenues to HIV testing services (HTS) that overcome both stigma and structural barriers are needed: a new HIV testing paradigm is urgently needed to reach these remaining undiagnosed individuals and effectively link them to treatment.