Undetectable = Untransmittable (U = U) Messaging Increases Uptake of HIV Testing Among Men: Results from a Pilot Cluster Randomized Trial
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Abstract
HIV testing coverage in sub-Saharan Africa is lower among men than women. We investigated the impact of a peer-delivered U = U (undetectable equals untransmittable) message on men’s HIV testing uptake through a cluster randomised trial with individual mobile clinic days as unit of randomisation. On standard of care (SOC) days, peer promoters informed men about the availability of HIV testing at the mobile clinic. On intervention days, peer promoters delivered U = U messages. We used logistic regression adjusting for mobile clinic location, clustering by study day, to determine the percentage of invited men who tested for HIV at the mobile clinic. Peer promoters delivered 1048 invitations over 12 days. In the SOC group, 68 (13%) of 544 men invited tested for HIV (3, 4.4% HIV-positive). In the U = U group, 112 (22%) of 504 men invited tested for HIV (7, 6.3% HIV-positive). Men in the U = U group had greater odds of testing for HIV (adjusted odds ratio = 1.89, 95% CI 1.21–2.95; p = 0.01). Tailored, peer-delivered messages that explain the benefits of HIV treatment in reducing HIV transmission can increase men’s HIV testing uptake.
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Cites
CONSORT 2010 Statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trials
the CONSORT Group, Schulz, K. F., Altman, D. G., & Moher, D. (2010) · Trials · doi:10.1186/1745-6215-11-32 · Cited by 1,871 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Smith, P., Buttenheim, A., Schmucker, L., Bekker, L.-G., Thirumurthy, H., & Davey, D. L. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, Philip
- Venue
- AIDS and Behavior
- Published
- 2021-05-31
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 3128-3136
- ISSN
- 1090-7165 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3254
- PMC
- PMC8165342
- OpenAlex
- W3108529568
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7
- FWCI
- 2.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- AIDS and Behavior (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-008318)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management of Technology and Innovation › Blood donation and transfusion practices
- Keywords
- HIV testing uptake, men's health, undetectable equals untransmittable, mobile clinics, HIV prevention messaging, HIV treatment, HIV transmission, sub-Saharan Africa
- MeSH terms
- HIV Testing, Female, Humans, Male, HIV Infections, Africa South of the Sahara
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