Acceptability and Use of a Dual HIV/Syphilis Rapid Test and Accompanying Smartphone App to Facilitate Self- and Partner-Testing Among Cisgender Men and Transgender Women Who Have Sex with Men

• Published in: AIDS and behavior Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 35 - 46
• Main Authors: Balán, Iván C., Rios, Javier López, Lentz, Cody, Arumugam, Siddarth, Dolezal, Curtis, Kutner, Bryan, Rael, Christine Tagliaferri, Ying, Alexander Wang, Macar, Ongun Uzay, Sia, Samuel K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.01.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acceptability; Cisgender; Disease transmission; Female; Gays & lesbians; Health behavior; Health Psychology; Health risks; HIV; HIV Infections - diagnosis; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Homosexuality, Male; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious Diseases; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Men who have sex with men; Mens health; Mobile Applications; Multiplexing; Original Paper; Public Health; Risk assessment; Self testing; Self tests; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Syphilis; Syphilis - diagnosis; Transgender Persons; Women; Womens health
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03322-9

At home self- and partner-testing may reduce HIV and syphilis transmission by detecting undiagnosed infections. Forty-eight cisgender men and transgender women who men who have sex with men were given ten INSTI Multiplex kits and downloaded the SMARTtest app to facilitate self- and partner testing over the next three months. Thirty-seven (77%) participants self-tested using the INSTI (mean = 3.7 times, SD = 3.9); 26 (54%) tested partners (mean = 1.6 times, SD = 2.2). Participants liked the test for its ease of use, quick results, and dual HIV/syphilis testing but its blood-based nature hindered use with partners. Participants with reactive syphilis results always attributed them to a past infection and these results presented a challenge to testing with partners and the ability to accurately assess risk of infection. Most participants stated they would use the INSTI for self-testing (100%) and for partner-testing (89%). Acceptability of the SMARTtest app was high for functionality (M = 4.16 of max 5, SD = 0.85) and helpfulness (M = 6.12 of max 7, SD = 1.09). Participants often used the app as needed, eschewing its use if they felt comfortable conducting the test and interpreting its results. Seventy-eight percent would recommend the app to a friend. Availability of the INSTI Multiplex as a self-test with the accompanying SMARTtest app might increase frequency of HIV and syphilis testing, allowing for earlier detection of infection and reduced transmission.