Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37349835›Full record

ArticleAIDS research and therapy2023

Availability and accessibility of HIV self-tests and self-sample kits at community pharmacies in the Netherlands.

Chaima Kandil, Jacqueline Hugtenburg, Titia Heijman, Hanna Bos, Martina Teichert, Renee Finkenflügel, Eline Op de Coul

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in AIDS research and therapy, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Chaima KandilNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Center for Infectious Disease Control, P.O. Box 1, Bilthoven, 3720 BA, the Netherlands.
Jacqueline HugtenburgAmsterdam University Medical Center, Location VUMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Titia HeijmanPublic Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Hanna BosSTI Aids Netherlands, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Martina TeichertRoyal Dutch Pharmacists Association (KNMP), the Hague, the Netherlands.
Renee FinkenflügelDutch Association of People with HIV (the HIV vereniging), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Eline Op de CoulNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Center for Infectious Disease Control, P.O. Box 1, Bilthoven, 3720 BA, the Netherlands. Eline.op.de.coul@rivm.nl.
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment · NLAidsfonds · NLAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NLGGD Amsterdam · NLLeiden University Medical Center · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn 2016 the WHO declared HIV self-testing and self-sampling an effective and safe test option that can reduce testing barriers. HIV self-tests and self-sampling kits (HIVST/HIVSS) are available for purchase at Dutch community pharmacies since 2019. We investigated the availability and accessibility of HIVST/HIVSS in community pharmacies, and factors associated with test availability.

methodsAn online survey among all Dutch community pharmacies (n = 1,987) was conducted between April and June 2021. Availability of HIVST/HIVSS and experiences of pharmacists with the test offer were analyzed with descriptive statistics. The association of pharmacy and pharmacists' characteristics with HIVST/HIVSS availability was explored by logistic regression analysis.

resultsIn total, 465 pharmacists completed the questionnaire. Of the responding pharmacists, 6.2% (n = 29) offered HIVST/HIVSS. The majority (82.8%) sold between 0 and 20 tests per year. In total, pharmacies sold an estimated 370 HIVST/HIVSS per year. Pharmacies having HIVST/HIVSS available were less often located in moderately-urbanized to rural neighborhoods (OR 0.35, 95%CI 0.16-0.77 versus highly-urbanized), and were less often located in moderate-to-low SES neighborhoods (OR 0.40, 95%CI 0.18-0.88 versus high-SES). Reasons for not offering HIVST/HIVSS by pharmacists were no or little demand (69.3%), and not being familiar with these tests (17.4%). 52% of the pharmacists provided information about testing to test buyers. Reported options to improve the test offer were giving advice about (performing) the test to test buyers (72.4%), placing tests visible on the counter (51.7%), and advertisement (37.9%).

conclusionHIVST/HIVSS have a limited practical availability in Dutch community pharmacies since their introduction in 2019, especially in lower-urbanized and lower-SES areas. Further research is needed to explore how to expand access to HIVST/HIVSS through community pharmacies in the Netherlands, and how to tailor it to the needs of pharmacy clients.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsPharmaciesHIV TestingHumansMass ScreeningNetherlandsHIV self-samplingHIV self-testsHIV testingHome testingPharmacies

Identifiers

PMID37349835
PMCPMC10288660
OpenAlexW4381687147

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.