Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART): from point-of-care test to ART at a peer-led community-based testing site in Sydney
R. Houghton A D , V. Knight A B , B. Clifton B C and R. Varma A BA Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
B Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
C ACON Sydney, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: rebecca.houghton1@health.nsw.gov.au
Sexual Health 16(1) 94-95 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH18094
Submitted: 7 May 2018 Accepted: 5 July 2018 Published: 2 November 2018
Abstract
The effect of performing baseline HIV investigations (BLHIVI) at the time of a reactive HIV point-of-care test in the pathway to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a community setting has not been described. In this study, 67 men newly diagnosed with HIV across three service models were analysed. The median time to ART was 30, 29.5 and 38 days (P = 0.29) at a peer-led community testing site intervention group, in a historical control group and in an urban publicly funded sexual health service respectively. In a community setting, the inclusion of BLHIVI has the potential to reduce the time to early ART initiation.
Additional keywords: HIV, investigations, operational research, treatment.
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