Assessing Whether Providing Regular, Free HIV Self-Testing Kits Reduces the Time to HIV Diagnosis: An Internet-Based, Randomized Controlled Trial in Men Who Have Sex With Men.

BACKGROUND: The risk of onward HIV transmission is strongly influenced by the interval between HIV infection and its diagnosis. The SELPHI trial examined whether this interval could be reduced by offering free HIV self-testing kits to men who have sex with men (MSM).

SETTING: Internet-based RCT of MSM aged ≥16 years, resident in England/Wales, recruited through sexual and social networking sites.

METHODS: The second-stage randomization of SELPHI was open to participants who used an initial free HIV self-test kit, were HIV seronegative, and reported recent condomless anal sex. They were randomized to receive a free HIV self-test kit every 3 months (repeat testing [RT] group) versus no such offer (nRT group). The primary outcome was time from randomization to a confirmed HIV diagnosis, determined from linkage to national HIV surveillance databases. The key secondary outcome was the frequency of HIV testing regardless of test modality.

RESULTS: In total, 2308 eligible participants (1161 RT, 1147 nRT) were randomized between April 2017 and June 2018, and followed for 15-27 months. The proportion of participants reporting an HIV test in the previous 3 months was much higher in the RT group (86%) than in the nRT group (39%). Overall, 16 (9 RT, 7 nRT) confirmed HIV diagnoses were observed (0.35/100 person-years), with no difference between the groups (hazard ratio = 1.27 [95% CI: 0.47 to 3.41], P = 0.63).

CONCLUSIONS: Providing regular free self-testing kits to sexually active MSM was highly acceptable and markedly increased HIV testing. However, in this low incidence cohort, it did not result in a demonstrably more rapid diagnosis of incident infections.