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Deciding whether distributing HIV self-test kits is right for your organization

Before deciding to take on HIV self-test kit distribution, your organization's leaders should carefully consider whether this is a good fit for your organization. This involves assessing factors such as knowledge, resources and values within the organization to determine if your organization has the capacity and willingness to successfully adopt and integrate self-test kit distribution. Essentially, it's about making sure your organization is equipped and ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities that come with adding HIV self-test kit distribution to your programs and services. 

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Below are some practice-based recommendations for you to consider when deciding whether self-test kit distribution might be a good fit for your organization. 

Practice-based recommendations:

1. Determine if the distribution of HIV self-test kits aligns with your organizational goals and values. 

2. Consider if your organization can reach communities disproportionately affected by HIV. 

3. Consider how HIV self-testing fits within the landscape of HIV services in your community, including testing, prevention and treatment. 

4. Weigh the pros (e.g., increased accessibility) and cons (e.g., extensive staff training requirements) of HIV self-test kit distribution and base decisions on a comprehensive understanding of these factors. 

5. Evaluate if your organization has or can acquire all the necessary resources (e.g., staff, space) to distribute HIV self-test kits.

6. Recognize the need to: 

  • provide comprehensive training to staff to effectively distribute HIV self-test kits
  • consult with staff to understand any concerns or anxiety related to implementation and delivery so they can be addressed during rollout
  • conduct external consultations with stakeholders, including community consultations, to determine how best to distribute self-test kits 
  • determine the best ways to distribute HIV self-test kits in your community including considering how distribution can be integrated into existing programs and services
  • increase awareness of the self-test kits in the community
  • ensure your organization's readiness to address logistical considerations such as procuring and storing the HIV self-test kits to facilitate smooth implementation
  • develop policies and procedures to guide the distribution of self-test kits
  • develop a clear linkage to care pathway for both reactive results (e.g., confirmatory testing) and non-reactive results (e.g., HIV prevention)