Oral HIV Self-Implemented Testing: Performance Fidelity Among African American MSM

• Published in: AIDS and behavior 2020-02, Vol.24 (2), p.395-403
• Main Authors: Catania, Joseph A., Dolcini, M. Margaret, Harper, Gary, Fortenberry, Dennis, Singh, Ryan R., Jamil, Omar, Young, Amy W., Pollack, Lance, Orellana, E. Roberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Accuracy; Adult; African Americans; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Dental materials; Diagnostic Self Evaluation; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - diagnosis; HIV Infections - ethnology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - psychology; Homosexuality, Male - ethnology; Homosexuality, Male - statistics & numerical data; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Knowledge; Knowledge acquisition; Male; Mass Screening - methods; Medical tests; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Paper; Performance assessment; Public Health; Research design; Self-Examination - methods; Serologic Tests; Social Stigma; Stigma; Task performance; Training
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02711-5

Oral-Self Implemented HIV Testing (Oral-SIT) offers a low-cost way to extend the reach of HIV testing systems. It is unclear, however, if high risk populations are able to perform the test with high fidelity. Using a simulation-based research design, we administered desensitized Oral-SIT kits to African American MSM (AAMSM; 17–24 years, N = 178). Participants were HIV negative or never tested, and had never self-administered an Oral-SIT kit. We assessed performance fidelity, and hypothesized antecedents. High levels of social stigma were associated with lower levels of training knowledge (Range = No Errors: 51.9%, 4 Errors: 0.6%) and performance fidelity (Range = No Errors: 39.9%, 3 Errors: 1.7%). Training knowledge and prior testing history were positively associated with performance fidelity. The present work extends research on HIV-related social stigma and suggests that social stigma inhibits knowledge acquisition and task performance. The Oral-SIT training materials were understood by individuals with a wide-range of educational backgrounds. Interventions are needed, however, to further improve Oral-SIT performance fidelity.