Researchers at the University of New South Wales and the Kirby Institute are running a new study looking at home testing for HIV. The study, titled Forth, is being run in conjunction with HIV organisations and sexual health centres in Sydney and Melbourne. Melbourne Sexual Health Centre Director Christopher Fairley said that the study aims to improve HIV prevention, working from the recognition that HIV is more likely to be transmitted by people unaware of their HIV status.
“The sooner we can find people after they’ve been infected with HIV and put them on treatment… the more likely we are to be able to control HIV. We have to go about making testing as easy as possible,” Fairley said.
The trial will look at how home testing changes testing behaviour, as well as potential risks such as reduced condom use.
More information about the study is available here.
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