HIV self-testing empowers individuals to avoid stigma and prioritize health
Background
Only 38% of people living with HIV in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region know their status. HIV self-testing lets individuals choose when and where to take an HIV test.
The Region was home to 490 000 people living with HIV in 2022, according to estimates by WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). But only 38% of these people had been diagnosed. Among those diagnosed, just 27% were receiving treatment – 24% of whom had suppressed their viral load.
Knowing your HIV status is an entry point for referral to HIV prevention and treatment. But diagnosis continues to be a barrier to HIV response in the Region. As a result, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean promotes HIV testing and innovative HIV testing models.
In 2016, WHO recommended HIV self-testing as a convenient and confidential way to test for HIV and an innovative means of reaching people who do not typically seek out HIV testing services. This includes young people and key populations.
For World AIDS Day 2023, our aim is for countries and territories of the Region to introduce and scale up HIV self-testing as an additional way to increase HIV diagnosis.
Key messages on HIV self-testing
- HIV self-testing is easy and simple – making it possible for many people who may be reluctant to visit a clinic to find out their status.
- HIV self-testing is effective in increasing uptake of HIV testing – especially among people at risk of HIV.
- Uptake of HIV prevention and treatment is comparable following HIV self-testing and other ways of testing.
- Governments need to adopt HIV self-testing as part of the national plan’s strategic combination of HIV testing approaches.
- For HIV self-testing to be effective, communities need to be empowered to choose self-testing and be engaged in developing and adapting how self-testing is delivered.
Campaign materials
Regional Director's message
On World AIDS Day 2023, we take the opportunity to advocate for increased access to HIV testing in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Our Region remains challenged by persistent gaps in diagnosing people living with HIV, especially among the most vulnerable populations. As of the end of 2022, only 38% of an estimated
490 000 people living with HIV (PLHIV) know their status.
