Opinions towards Key Operational Aspects for the Implementation of HIV Self-Testing in Spain: A Comparison between Stakeholders and Potential Users

Juan Hoyos, Juan-Miguel Guerras, Tomás Maté, Cristina Agustí, Laura Fernández-López, Luis de la Fuente and María-José Belza
Additional contact information
Juan Hoyos: Departamento de Salud Pública y Materno-Infantil, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Juan-Miguel Guerras: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Tomás Maté: Gerencia de Atención Primaria Valladolid Este, 47010 Valladolid, Spain
Cristina Agustí: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Laura Fernández-López: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Luis de la Fuente: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
María-José Belza: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: We assessed previous knowledge about the existence of HIV self-testing of stakeholders in Spain, as well as their personal position towards this methodology. We also assessed their views on potential users’ (PU) opinions towards several key operational aspects surrounding self-testing, and compared them to those expressed by a sample of PU comprised of men who have sex with men. In 2017, we recruited three types of stakeholders: public health professionals and policy makers (PHPPM) ( n = 33), clinical providers ( n = 290) and community-based/non-governmental organization (CBO/NGO) workers ( n = 55). Data on PU ( n = 3537) were collected in 2016. Previous knowledge about the existence of self-testing was higher in stakeholders than in PU, but being in favor was less frequent. PUs’ willingness to pay 25–30 euros for a self-test was higher than that which stakeholders considered. According to clinical providers and PHPPM, pharmacies would be PUs’ preferred place to obtain a self-test, which was in line with PUs’ actual choice. CBO/NGO workers on the other hand thought it would be CBO/NGOs. PHPPM and clinical providers considered primary care as PUs’ preferred setting to confirm a reactive self-test and CBO/NGO chose CBO/NGOs, but PUs preferred an HIV/STI testing service or clinic. Stakeholders’ opinions significantly differed from those of PUs. This divergence needs to be brought up to stakeholders as it could vary their position towards self-testing as well as the actions taken in the implementation of a testing option with the potential of increasing testing frequency.

Keywords: stakeholders; men who have sex with men; early diagnosis; self-testing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1428/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1428/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1428-:d:492742

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().