Abstract #198  -  Community-based rapid testing: A non-medical innovative approach
Authors:   Presenting Author:   mr Christian Andreo - AIDES
Additional Authors:  Mr Jean-Marie Le Gall, Mr Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Mr Emmanuel Cook, Mr Bruno Spire, Mr Vincent Pelletier,
Method / Issue: In France, 36.000 people are estimated not being aware of their HIV positive status and 33% of PLWHA have a late diagnosis. Moreover, undiagnosed PLWHA are more at risk of transmitting HIV, especially during the primary infection. Since the beginning of the epidemic, MSM have been widely concerned by the infection. In fact, in 2006, MSM represented 29% of new infections in France. As prevalence grows in the group, MSM are 70% more vulnerable to HIV than heterosexual people. Up till now, in France, only existed a general testing offer witch didn�t suit the specific needs of some groups such as MSM. Furthermore, rapid tests are still unavailable because of French legislation. Since 2006, AIDES, the largest HIV/AIDS community-based organization in France, has developed different strategies in order to achieve the possibility of providing community-based rapid testing. The present study, developed in conjunction with the AIDS research national agency (ANRS) is a major part of this process.
Results / Comments: The ANRS COM TEST study aims to assess the feasibility of community-based VCT by providing a specific counselling approach and rapid tests. This study provides VCT targeted towards MSM using four AIDES local offices in four big French cities (Montpellier, Lille, Bordeaux and Paris), but it also takes advantage of reaching this population in order to have data that will allow knowing the benefits and the disadvantages of this non-medical approach. The course of the VCT can be briefly described as follows. Each person has a face-to-face interview with a counsellor in order to clearly explain the process. If the person accepts to take part in the study, a pre-test counselling, the test and a post-test counselling is provided by the community counsellors. The whole process takes around ninety minutes. Support and care access is granted to every person with a positive result. For those having a negative result, a one to six months follow-up is offered. The project was launched in Montpellier on November 2008 and in Lille on February 2009. All the community counsellors involved in the project have received a specific training elaborated by AIDES and validated by the ANRS. None of them was recruited on the basis of medical abilities.
Discussion: It is too early to state upon conclusions. In any case, because of their potential results and benefits for the more vulnerable groups, it is important to develop projects allowing collaborative work between community-based organizations and research agencies. Besides, this alliance has allowed moving forward the VCT legislation in France.
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