October 18, 2007

Is Home Testing the Answer for Uganda and Zambia?

The residents of Uganda and Zambia are about five times more likely to get tested for HIV if they have the option of doing so at home, researchers report. They examined the results from two studies—one published in 2004 that examined 849 people in Zambia and one from 2005 that looked at almost 2,000 people in Uganda.

Zambians were 4.6 more likely to get tested with an at-home option; Ugandans were 5.23 times more likely.

The researches added that more research is needed before they would issue any recommendation that developing countries put more resources into expanding home-based HIV testing. They say that other means should be examined first, such as routine testing, self-testing at home without a counselor, or mobile vans.