HIV positivity and referral to treatment following testing of partners and children of PLHIV index patients in public sector facilities in South Africa
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Jul 01, 2019
Joseph Davey D, et al. - The feasibility of providing index partner/child testing of people living with HIV was determined. In 56 public health facilities in 6 high HIV burden districts in South Africa 2017, 86 nurses and counselors were trained to provide index partner/child testing (tracing and testing of partners/children of people living with HIV). Between October 2017 and June 2018, researchers tested 16,033 partners and children of index patients, comprising mostly women (61%) and 20–39 years old (39%). HIV positivity of 38% was reported. Subanalyses revealed HIV positivity in partners to be correlated with their increased age, female gender, and index partner bringing the partner in for HIV testing vs referring the partner through the provider or recommending testing to the partner, adjusting for the location of testing. Referral to antiretroviral therapy was made for almost all patients diagnosed (97%). These findings support the feasibility of providing index partner/child testing. Identification of a very high yield when testing partners and children of index patients, was made, supporting offering index partner and children testing to all patients living with HIV to improve case finding.
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