NCT03662165

Increase HIV Testing Among Truck Drivers and Female Sex Workers in Kenya Through Offering HIV Self-Testing

A Randomised Controlled Trial to Increase HIV Testing Demand Among Truck Drivers and Sex Workers Through Offering Self-Administered Oral HIV Testing at North Star Alliance Clinics in Kenya

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 4,458 (actual)
• Sponsor: City University of New York, School of Public Health · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The study aimed to assess whether advertising the availability of self-administered oral HIV testing kits increases the number of truck drivers and female sex workers who come to the North Star Alliance clinics for HIV testing (Demand creation). The investigators sent text messages to eligible truck drivers and female sex workers registered in the North Star Alliance electronic health record system who, based on those records, were not accessing HIV testing regularly and randomized them to receive one of two messaged, (1) the standard message sent to all clients who have not tested for HIV in the past 3 months reminding them of the availability of HIV testing at North Star clinics or (2) a text message announcing the availability of HIV self-testing kits fat all North Star clinics in Kenya. The investigators then compared the number of truck drivers and female sex workers from our samples who came to the clinic for HIV testing over a 2 month period following the first text message in the two study arms.

Detailed description

The study aimed to assess whether advertising the availability of self-administered oral HIV testing kits increases the number of truck drivers and female sex workers who come to the North Star Alliance clinics for HIV testing (Demand creation). The investigators first selected a sample of eligible truck drivers from the electronic health record system of the North Star Alliance who, based on those records, were not accessing HIV testing regularly, sent passive text messages alerting them that The North Star Alliance was planning to use their deidentified electronic health data for program evaluation purposes and gave them the option to opt out of being included. The investigators then randomized those who did not opt-out on a 1:1:1 ratio to receive one of two messages, (1) the standard (SOC) message sent to all clients who have not tested for HIV in the past 3 months reminding them of the availability of HIV testing at North Star clinics sent one time (2) the SOC message sent three times, a week apart (Enhanced SOC) or (2) a text message announcing the availability of HIV self-testing kits fat all North Star clinics in Kenya sent three times, a week apart. The investigators compared the number of truck drivers from our sample who came to the clinic for HIV testing over a 2 month period following the first text message in the three study arms. After completing the study among truck drivers, we followed the same procedures for a sample of female sex workers registered in the electronic health record system who were not accessing HIV testing regularly.

Conditions

• HIV Testing

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Intervention	A text was sent three times, one week apart, first in Kiswahili, then in English and then again in Kiswahili, and read: "You can now self-test at home or in the clinic for HIV using a new test kit available from all North Star Alliance clinics in Kenya. Your health, our priority." Participants who came to any North Star clinic in Kenya in the intervention arm were given a demonstration of the self-testing kit and then offered a choice among (1) the standard provider-administered blood-based HIV test; (2) the self-administered oral HIV test for use in the clinic with provider supervision; or (3) the self-administered oral HIV test kit for home use with phone-based post-test counseling.
BEHAVIORAL	Enhanced Standard of Care	Those randomized to the enhanced Standard of Care (SOC) arm received the SOC message reminding clients about HIV testing sent three times, one week apart first in Kiswahili, then in English and then again in Kiswahili. The message read: "North Star Alliance East Africa would wish to kindly remind you to visit any of our roadside wellness centres for HIV testing. Your health, our priority." Participants who came to any North Star clinic in the enhanced SOC arm only offered the standard provider-administered blood-based HIV test.
BEHAVIORAL	Traditional Standard of Care	Those randomized to the traditional Standard of Care (SOC) arm received the SOC message reminding clients about HIV testing sent one time in both Kiswahili, then in English and Kiswahili simultaneously. The message read: "North Star Alliance East Africa would wish to kindly remind you to visit any of our roadside wellness centres for HIV testing. Your health, our priority." Participants who came to any North Star clinic in the traditional SOC arm only offered the standard provider-administered blood-based HIV test.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-12-20
• Primary completion: 2017-04-27
• Completion: 2017-04-27
• First posted: 2018-09-07
• Last updated: 2018-09-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States