| Who can train FSW on HIV self-testing? |
Women can be trained by, especially the female sex workers, they can be trained by other sex workers who work here in Nkaikela for example. Because in our community, no one can come from outside to help you, they cannot. Another sex worker can help you. This is because the person from outside may say. Can I help a person who acquires diseases deliberately?”
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. I think it should be someone who has been trained on HIV, not necessarily a health care provider or not necessarily someone with a clinical background, somebody who is knowledgeable about HIV acquisition like we have been discussing but anybody can train sex workers in self testing. |
| What information/education do FSW require to use oral HIV self-test kit |
So we need to be taught how this one is done and how often it should be done…. Yes. And testing, when do we do it? Yes. |
. They may need to be taught …for a person to able to accept something, just from the beginning, you should tell them the purpose, why the need, so they have been taught why and understanding they will accept this kit, and then be taught on how to use it, and then understand the benefits because if you don’t understand the benefits you will not be eager or have that desire to use it. |
| How should Education on HIV Self Testing be delivered? |
Information can be spread by youth voluntary organizations/groups like those of Nkaikela, to approach a person, before you talk to him/her, they want to know who you are, why you are talking to them about HIV, why you want to give them self-testing, they would want to know…that’s why I say this self-kit can be given to women by this other organizations as it is known they go into homes and clinics, people should be educated about it so that they know about it and talk to people about it including those who are difficult to test, its difficult but also not difficult, I believe if you sit down with a person, they can understand the importance of testing for HIV. |
Information should be disseminated through the media, radio, social media and sessions whereby female sex workers are educated, even education the general population, there’s going to be a need to educate the health care providers then they can spread it across clinic through morning talks, yes it can be done sharing it with people in that way. |
| Distribution of Test kits |
It would be ideal for them to pick them up from protected/safe spaces like Nkaikela. |
I have realized they don’t have a problem coming to a place like this NGO, they just come to access services, so, I can recommend it. When you talk about the clinic they think of waiting it a line that goes beyond the gate, so, it will be difficult for them…so places like NGOs and social services organizations if they had a place they can issue them, these are places that can help. |
| Sharing of test kits |
To test other people, yes, I would do it…would test other sex-workers like me. As we meet up in the afternoons I would say to them “Friends, there is a thing that you can test yourself with without going to the hospital”…They are the people… the sex-workers. |
I don’t have an objection against that, as much as someone has been given enough information, how to take it and how to interpret the results, then there is no problem at all. |
| Linkage to care |
If it is me testing the other person. If I see that maybe the person is “like that”, I will talk to them and encourage them to go the clinic or to the hospital so that they can receive treatment and assistance. |
Let’s have a telephone line, because they test at home they call this line or we can provide instructions on the test kit on how to link to care and be able to contact whoever by text or any means of communication to be able to communicate with whoever will be coordinating and then get linked (to care)
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