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Mobile VCT: Reaching Men and Young People in Urban and Rural South African Pilot Studies (NIMH Project Accept, HPTN 043)

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Abstract

Mounting evidence exists that mobile voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) is able to extend coverage to new localities and populations. We describe two feasibility and acceptability pilot studies conducted in rural and urban South Africa in preparation for the larger NIMH Project Accept HIV prevention trial. A total of 1,015 individuals participated in the pilot studies. Participants in rural Vulindlela were younger (median 22 years) compared to urban Soweto (p < 0.001). Young people were more likely to be first time testers in both sites (p = 0.01 in Vulindlela, p < 0.001 in Soweto), with significantly more men likely to be first time testers than women (p = 0.01 in Vulindlela, p < 0.001 in Soweto). User satisfaction with mobile VCT was extremely high in both sites. Our study shows that providing mobile, high-quality and easy to access services in a high prevalence context is a feasible way to engage youth, men and more rural populations in HIV counselling and testing.

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Acknowledgments

This research was sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health as a cooperative agreement, through contracts U01MH066687 (Johns Hopkins University—David Celentano, PI); U01MH066688 (Medical University of South Carolina—Michael Sweat, PI); U01MH066701 (University of California, Los Angeles—Thomas J. Coates, PI); and U01MH066702 (University of California, San Francisco—Stephen F. Morin, PI). In addition, this work was supported as HPTN Protocol 043 through contracts U01AI068613 (HPTN Network Laboratory—Susan Eshleman, PI); U01AI068617 (SCHARP—Deborah Donnell, PI); and U01AI068619/UM1AI068619 (HIV Prevention Trials Network—Sten Vermund, PI) of the Division of AIDS of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and by the Office of AIDS Research of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Views expressed are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of sponsoring agencies. We thank the communities that partnered with us in conducting this research, and all study participants for their contributions. We also thank study staff and volunteers at all participating institutions for their work and dedication. Special thanks to Ms Precious Modiba, the Soweto Project Director, for her invaluable insights, commitment and contributions to Project Accept.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. HIV/AIDS, STIs and TB Unit, Human Sciences Research Council, Durban, South Africa

    Heidi van Rooyen, Philip Joseph & Linda Richter

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

    Nuala McGrath

  3. Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mtubatuba, South Africa

    Nuala McGrath

  4. Mothers2mothers, Cape Town, South Africa

    Admire Chirowodza

  5. UCLA Program in Global Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Agnès Fiamma & Thomas Coates

  6. Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto, South Africa

    Glenda Gray

  7. Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland

    Linda Richter

  8. Human Sciences Research Council, 750 Francois Road, Durban, 4000, South Africa

    Heidi van Rooyen

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  1. Heidi van Rooyen
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  2. Nuala McGrath
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  3. Admire Chirowodza
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  7. Linda Richter
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  8. Thomas Coates
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Correspondence to Heidi van Rooyen.

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van Rooyen, H., McGrath, N., Chirowodza, A. et al. Mobile VCT: Reaching Men and Young People in Urban and Rural South African Pilot Studies (NIMH Project Accept, HPTN 043). AIDS Behav 17, 2946–2953 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0368-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0368-x

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