Cumulative Effects of Adding a Small Group Intervention to Social Network Testing on HIV Testing Rates Among Crack Users in San Salvador, El Salvador

Julia Dickson-Gomez,Wendy Cuellar,Lorena Rivas De Mendoza,Laura Glasman,Sergey Tarima,Gloria Bodnar

doi:10.1007/s10461-021-03160-9

Abstract

The present study evaluates a combination prevention intervention for crack users in San Salvador, El Salvador that included social network HIV testing, community events and small group interventions. We examined the cumulative effects of the social network HIV testing and small group interventions on rates of HIV testing, beyond the increase that we saw with the introduction of the social network HIV testing intervention alone. HIV test data was converted into the number of daily tests and analyzed the immediate and overtime impact of small group interventions during and in the twelve weeks after the small group intervention. The addition of the small group interventions to the baseline of monthly HIV tests resulted in increased rates of testing lasting 7 days after the small group interventions suggesting a reinforcing effect of small group interventions on testing rates.

Highlights

Researchers increasingly call for a combination of biomedical, behavioral, social and structural strategies, called combination prevention interventions, as the best way to reduce HIV incidence [1,2,3,4]
The present study examines the cumulative effectiveness of a multi-level, combination HIV prevention intervention on HIV testing rates among crack users in San Salvador, El Salvador
The present study reports the cumulative effects of the social network HIV testing and small group interventions on the community’s rates of HIV testing, beyond the increase that we saw with the introduction of the social network HIV testing intervention alone [19]

Summary

Introduction

Researchers increasingly call for a combination of biomedical, behavioral, social and structural strategies, called combination prevention interventions, as the best way to reduce HIV incidence [1,2,3,4]. Research with injection drug users suggests that a combination of approaches is needed to reduce HIV infection among PWID including: syringe exchange programs (SEPs); frequent HIV testing and linkage to HIV care; antiretroviral therapy initiation after infection; medication assisted therapy; psychosocial support; and pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis [11,12,13]. This is due to difficulties in coverage as well as barriers to strict adherence. Researchers believe that interventions must tackle social and structural factors that increase HIV risk, for example punitive laws criminalizing drug use and prohibiting safer injection practices, or include empowerment strategies to reduce stigma and violence against drug users, sex workers, and gender and sexual minorities to change the social context that contributes to HIV risk [6, 14,15,16]

Methods

Results

Conclusion