Table 3.
Stakeholders’ opinion of reasons that the public has in favor/against self-testing vs. opinions of potential users.
| Stakeholders by Work Area (n = 378) | Potential Users * (n = 3537) |
p | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health Professionals/Policymakers (n = 33) |
Clinical Providers (n = 290) |
CBO/NGO Workers (n = 55) |
|||||||
| n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | ||
| Users’ reasons to be against self-testing ** | 0.0066 | ||||||||
| The presence of an expert to counsel and inform about the result is essential | 19 | 63.3 | 103 | 38.1 | 23 | 50.0 | 150 | 36.4 | |
| Obtaining the sample, performing the test and interpreting the results should be done by a trained professional | 5 | 16.7 | 61 | 22.6 | 11 | 23.9 | 121 | 29.4 | |
| Concerns about the validity of the results | 3 | 10.0 | 52 | 19.3 | 2 | 4.3 | 68 | 16.5 | |
| Self-testing may help to maintain HIV as a matter of taboo/shame | 2 | 6.7 | 25 | 9.3 | 4 | 8.7 | 33 | 8.0 | |
| People could be forced to self-test in front of their partner | 0 | 0.0 | 15 | 5.6 | 3 | 6.5 | 16 | 3.9 | |
| Other | 1 | 3.3 | 14 | 5.2 | 3 | 6.5 | 24 | 5.8 | |
| Users’ reasons to be in favor of self-testing ** | <0.0001 | ||||||||
| It helps to keep their privacy | 12 | 41.4 | 90 | 33.5 | 16 | 32.7 | 782 | 24.8 | |
| It helps to test whenever they can/want | 5 | 17.2 | 54 | 20.1 | 7 | 14.3 | 785 | 24.9 | |
| It saves time, paperwork, queues, waiting time | 1 | 3.4 | 9 | 3.3 | 4 | 8.2 | 708 | 22.5 | |
| It contributes to taking responsibility for their own health | 3 | 10.3 | 23 | 8.6 | 3 | 6.1 | 499 | 15.8 | |
| It helps to avoid intimate and personal questions | 4 | 13.8 | 16 | 5.9 | 6 | 12.2 | 208 | 6.6 | |
| It saves them judgmental attitudes (regarding sexual practices, sexual orientation…) | 2 | 6.9 | 71 | 26.4 | 11 | 22.4 | 89 | 2.8 | |
| It allows one to avoid counselling | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0.7 | 1 | 2.0 | 10 | 0.3 | |
| Other | 2 | 6.9 | 4 | 1.5 | 1 | 2.0 | 70 | 2.2 | |
* HIV-negative men who have sex with men; CBO: Community-based organization; NGO: Non-governmental organization; ** For potential users this question as exclusive for those who reported being against/not sure of self-testing.