# HIV self-testing and PrEP to increase testing and prevention uptake among male partners and improve postpartum ART use in PMTCT B+ programs in Uganda

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $655,190

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Uganda has the fifth highest HIV burden globally and one of the highest fertility rates in Africa. Prevention of
mother-to-child transmission Option B+ (PMTCT B+) is national policy in Uganda. To maximize the prevention
and clinical benefits of PMTCT B+, the challenges of low HIV testing by male partners and high rates of post-
partum discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), insufficient ART adherence, and incomplete viral
suppression need to be addressed. Women may be more likely to continue ART long-term and have higher
adherence post-partum if their partners are tested, there is mutual disclosure of HIV status, and their partner
takes ART or PrEP, depending on the partner’s status. Innovative approaches are needed to allow men to test
in alternative settings to busy antenatal clinics, preferably privately where they are comfortable and do not miss
work. We will use innovative technologies – HIV self-testing (HIVST) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – to
increase male partners’ engagement in HIV testing, prevention, and care services. We will train pregnant women
in the use and interpretation of HIVST, provide them with two oral fluid-based HIVST kits to use with or give to
their partners. We will offer men confirmatory testing, counseling, and if negative, PrEP and if positive, ART. We
will provide counseling to minimize social harms of HIV self-testing. PrEP for HIV-negative male partners of HIV-
positive pregnant women provides an effective intervention during an important ‘season of risk’ when they may
have additional risk through other partners or when their partner may be viremic (during the first few months after
ART initiation, post-partum ART discontinuation or due to viral resistance).. Integrated PrEP and ART delivery
among East African HIV serodiscordant couples showed that PrEP as a ‘bridge’ until the HIV-positive partner
was on ART for six months was very acceptable, achieved very high uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP,
and nearly eliminated HIV transmission. We will use HIVST to identify HIV serodiscordant couples, and adapt
the PrEP bridging strategy to Ugandan PMTCT B+ programs to increase ART continuation post-partum for
clinical and prevention benefits. Aim 1: Determine whether an enhanced PMTCT program in Uganda that
provides HIV self-testing for male partners and PrEP for HIV-negative men increases the proportion of
men who test for HIV and initiate PrEP. Aim 2: Evaluate whether HIV testing and PrEP and ART use
among male partners increases effective post-partum ART use among HIV-infected Ugandan women in
PMTCT B+. Aim 3: Assess the acceptability of HIV self-testing and PrEP to pregnant women in PMTCT
B+ and to their male partners, using qualitative and quantitative methods. In summary, this project will
address key challenges in PMTCT B+ programs, by evaluating innovative strategies to increase male partner
involvement in PMTCT B – HIVST to overcome men’s reluctance to test and their tendency to test ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9895861
- **Project number:** 5R01MH113434-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** CONNIE L CELUM
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $655,190
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-06-10 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9895861

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9895861, HIV self-testing and PrEP to increase testing and prevention uptake among male partners and improve postpartum ART use in PMTCT B+ programs in Uganda (5R01MH113434-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9895861. Licensed CC0.

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