Charities Hail Success of Home HIV Test Service

Waverley Care and HIV Scotland have launched a new report, An Evaluation of HIV Self Test Scotland. The report presents the findings of the first evaluation of our pioneering HIV self test service.

Waverley Care and HIV Scotland have launched a new report, An Evaluation of HIV Self Test Scotland. The report presents the findings of the first evaluation of our pioneering HIV self test service.

HIV Self Test Scotland was launched in April 2020, in response to the reduced availability of sexual health services during the first COVID-19 lockdown. As of yesterday, over 3500 tests have been sent to people across Scotland, showing a high demand for HIV self testing. So far, eight people have reported a reactive test result, and have been linked in to treatment and support.

The report shows that HIV self testing is a feasible and acceptable way for people to access HIV testing. 27% of people who ordered a test had never tested for HIV before, including one of those who reported a reactive test result. 93% of those we surveyed said they would use the service again and 95% would recommend HIV Self Test Scotland to someone else. The service was described as ‘easy, convenient and discreet’.

The report calls for HIV Self Test Scotland to be sustained and expanded, with increased funding to make sure people can continue to access HIV self testing. We know from evidence and experience that HIV testing is most accessible when people have a range of different access options. Providing an at home self test option is essential to ensuring that Scotland can reach zero new HIV transmissions by 2030.

If you have any questions about the report, please contact Rachel Hughes (Waverley Care) at rachel.hughes@waverleycare.org or Nathan Sparling (HIV Scotland) at nathan@hiv.scot.