| Title: |
Facilitating the access to HIV testing at lower costs: “To the laboratory without prescription” (ALSO), a pilot intervention to expand HIV testing through medical laboratories in France |
| Authors: |
Champenois, Karen; Sawras, Victoire; Ngoh, Pamela; Bouvet de la Maisonneuve, Philippe; Valbousquet, Julie; Annequin, Margot; Gatseva, Yoana; Michels, David; Lydié, Nathalie; Maguet, Charlotte; Aïna, Elodie; Le Hô, Erwann; Plenel, Eve; Touitou, Irit; Deuffic-Burban, Sylvie; Lert, France; Pugliese, Pascal |
| Contributors: |
Infection, Anti-microbiens, Modélisation, Evolution (IAME (UMR_S_1137 / U1137)); Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Université Sorbonne Paris Nord; Vers Paris sans sida Paris; Corevih Paca Est; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (CHU Nice); AIDES Pantin (Siège national); Coalition PLUS Pantin, France (Community Research Laboratory Pantin); Santé publique France - French National Public Health Agency Saint-Maurice, France; Objectif sida zéro Nice; Centre de recherche en épidémiologie et santé des populations (CESP); Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Hôpital Paul Brousse; AP-HP. Université Paris Saclay-AP-HP. Université Paris Saclay-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université Paris-Saclay; ALSO group |
| Source: |
ISSN: 1932-6203. |
| Publisher Information: |
CCSD; Public Library of Science |
| Publication Year: |
2024 |
| Collection: |
Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines: HAL-UVSQ |
| Subject Terms: |
[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] |
| Description: |
International audience ; Background A pilot HIV testing programme, Au Labo sans Ordo (ALSO; “to the laboratory without prescription”) was implemented in two French Fast-Track Cities Initiative areas from 07/2019 to 12/2020. ALSO aimed to remove barriers to HIV testing by providing free testing with widespread access through all laboratories, extended opening hours, and no prescription requirements. Objectives Assessing the ALSO programme in terms of testing activity, user characteristics, and costs, compared to other HIV testing offers. Methods Laboratories and STI clinics reported the monthly numbers of tests performed and positive tests. Two short surveys were carried out 12 months apart in people who sought HIV testing. In each offer, the mean costs of HIV testing have been estimated according to negative or positive results using a microcosting approach. Results During the study period, 214/264 laboratories reported performing 38,941 ALSO tests that accounted for 7.2% of laboratory HIV testing activity. Positivity rates of ALSO and prescribed tests were similar (2.2/1000) but lower than that in STI clinics (6.0/1000). Heterosexual men, and individuals with multiple sexual partners, poor health insurance and few visits to GPs were more likely to use the ALSO offer than tests upon prescription. Compared to ALSO, STI clinic users were younger, more exposed to HIV and with a less favourable socio-economic situation. ALSO had low costs: €13 for a negative test, €163 for a positive test and €5,388 to identify an HIV-positive person (versus €9,068 in STI clinics and €20,126 with prescribed tests). Conclusion ALSO has attracted users less likely to visit STI clinics or to seek a prescribed test, particularly heterosexual men. Activities, user profiles and costs suggested the complementarity of the HIV testing offers and the relevance of making them coexist. French health authorities have decided to maintain and expand this programme to complement existing HIV testing offers. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/39446845; PUBMED: 39446845; PUBMEDCENTRAL: PMC11500895 |
| DOI: |
10.1371/journal.pone.0309754 |
| Availability: |
https://inserm.hal.science/inserm-04753659; https://inserm.hal.science/inserm-04753659v1/document; https://inserm.hal.science/inserm-04753659v1/file/journal.pone.0309754.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309754 |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.E0EDFA32 |
| Database: |
BASE |