Upscaling HIV and hepatitis C testing in primary healthcare settings: stigma-sensitive practice
Emily Lenton A C , Jen Johnson A and Graham Brown A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia.
B Present address: Centre for Social Impact UNSW, 704, Level 7, Science Engineering Building, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: e.lenton@latrobe.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 27(4) 255-258 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY20176
Submitted: 17 August 2020 Accepted: 5 March 2021 Published: 22 June 2021
Abstract
Increasing testing for viral hepatitis and HIV is central to meeting World Health Organization and Australian targets to eliminate blood-borne viruses as public health priorities by 2030. In this paper we draw on findings and recommendations from a Victorian consultation with 40 health and community practitioners engaged with blood-borne virus testing. The consultation focused on identifying what constitutes best practice in pre- and post-testing discussion in the current era of highly effective treatments for HIV and hepatitis C. Overall, the consultation found that the pre- and post-test discussion remains an important feature of testing, but, given that stigma continues to impact the lives of people affected by these viruses, sensitivity to this issue needs to inform how these discussions take place. We describe how primary healthcare settings can support the goal of upscaling HIV and hepatitis C testing in a way that delivers safe and stigma-free testing encounters. We offer the notion of ‘stigma-sensitive practice’ as a term to describe this approach to pre- and post-test discussions.
Keywords: blood-borne virus testing, primary healthcare, stigma-sensitive practice.
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