Expanding HIV Testing in African American Communities Through Community-Based Distribution of Home-Test Vouchers

Beth E. Meyerson, Gregory Carter, Carrie Lawrence, Lawrence Jimison, Nate Rush, Cedric Carter, Deidre Coleman, Aaron King, Debra Buckner, Relton Harvey, Terrell Parker, Anthony Gillespie, Anita Ohmit

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigated the implementation feasibility and effectiveness of community-based HIV home-test voucher distribution in three Indianapolis African American communities. Community-based organizations augmented traditional outreach methods to distribute vouchers for home HIV tests redeemable at three pharmacies during three distribution waves from February to April 30, 2015. Voucher redemption served as a proxy indicator of intent to test for HIV. 315 vouchers were distributed and 47 vouchers were redeemed for a 14.9% redemption rate. Distribution was 46% of plan. Vouchers were redeemed at all three pharmacies, and 21% of visits involved redemption of more than one voucher. The original team of seven distributors in three organizations reduced to a remaining five distributors in two organizations by wave 2. This study suggests that outreach organizations could implement HIV home test voucher distribution, and that people would redeem the vouchers at a pharmacy for an HIV test. Future studies should explore how voucher distribution can expand the current HIV testing system.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)141-145
Number of pages5
JournalAIDS Patient Care and STDs
Volume30
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2016
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases

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