Black CAP Wants Men to Self-Test for HIV During Pride Month

 By Neil Armstrong

The Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) has introduced an initiative accessible to African, Caribbean, and Black gay/ bisexual men and transmen who have sex with men (gbMSM) to test themselves for HIV in the comfort of their home.

After months of hard work, the agency has unveiled “GetaKit by Black CAP” and during its Pride Month campaign it is encouraging ACB (gbMSM) to: “Prick Yourself With Pride & Know Your Status.”

GetaKit by Black CAP was launched in March 2021 and aims to increase HIV testing, the frequency of testing, the number of ACB gbMSM who know their status, and linked to treatment and care — all of which contribute to decreasing HIV transmission.

 

ACB gbMSM are now able to go to the GetaKit by Black CAP website, see if they are eligible to participate in the study, register, complete a baseline survey and order up to three free HIV self-test kits. 

 

The kits, which provide detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to take the test, are delivered to participants’ homes. The project uses a status-neutral approach which means all participants are connected to support regardless of their test results. Those who test negative receive post-test counselling and information on effective ways to protect their health, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Those who receive a reactive test result will be immediately linked to confirmatory testing and care. 

Funded by the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN), this project aligns with the OHTN rapid learning areas as it provides population focused prevention and health promotion, and will improve linkage to care for people newly diagnosed with HIV.

In October 2019, Black CAP and Hassle-Free Clinic partnered to deliver a three-month HIV testing pilot for self-identified African, Caribbean and Black men (trans, cis, and other men), who also identify as gay, bi, queer, asexual, and/or as guys who are into/or have sex with guys (ACB gbMSM). 

 

The pilot was an opportunity for the Black CAP to offer at risk ACB gbMSM more choices in where, when and how they can access HIV and syphilis tests and help to ease the overflow caused by the demand for in-clinic testing. The blitz led to an increase in the number of men being tested. Participants mentioned that having access to rapid point-of-care testing without an appointment increased their willingness to be tested, as well as the location of the testing and the anonymity of testing. 

 

Building on the success of the community-based testing pilot, Black CAP plans to expand and evaluate community-based testing by increasing frequency of community testing through the HIV testing blitz, offering alternate venues, while increasing engagement through a social network strategy. 

 

“Importantly, we planned to facilitate engagement and testing through collaborations with community agencies and groups, especially those that engage young ACB gbMSM. “House Ball” or “KiKi Ballroom” communities are found across North America, and this is a growing community in Toronto frequented by young ACB gbMSM,” says the agency.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted some of these plans to facilitate venue-based HIV testing and so they decided to pilot GetaKit. 

 

First launched in Ottawa on July 20, 2020 to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a mail-out HIV self-testing program, GetaKit is run by a partnership between the University of Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health, MAX Ottawa, AIDS Committee of Ottawa and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. 

 

“Our adaptation of GetaKit is designed to make HIV self-testing available at NO-CHARGE to Toronto residents 16 or older, who identify as ACB gbMSM,” says the agency.

 

In the original testing blitz at Black CAP, they found that word-of-mouth is an effective mode of communication among young Black men. Since their launch, they have been promoting GetaKit by Black CAP to members of targeted populations through the use of social media, virtual drop-in sessions and health education activities. 

 

“We have asked our partner organizations to share our messaging. We have created printed materials that can be shared with information about GetaKit by Black CAP and HIV self-testing. 

 

“We ask that our testing participants follow our social media channels and share with friends. We plan to partner with community agencies and the local House Ball scene to facilitate workshop activities and information sessions to increase awareness and uptake of the HIV self-testing kits. Each person that receives our HIV self-testing kit will be asked how they learned about the project. We will employ both formal and informal social networks in our approach and evaluate their effectiveness.”

 

The pilot project will be carried out over the course of 18 months and will be evaluated for feasibility, acceptability, uptake, and HIV related outcomes. After analysis is completed, a report will be drafted to share with local AIDS Service Organizations, the OHTN and the AIDS and Hepatitis C Programs at the Ministry of Health. Specific effort will be made to share the results with varied community organizations, partners and venues that serve young ACB gbMSM. 

In addition to the publication of a peer-reviewed manuscript, the successful study will also be presented using academic venues, such as the Canadian Association for HIV Research, the OHTN conference, and a North American conference with a focus on the health of Black people.

Throughout the knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) process, Black CAP plans to engage with young ACB gbMSM to assist in the interpretation and framing of results. 

Since 1989, the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention has worked to respond to the threat of HIV and AIDS in Toronto’s African, Caribbean and Black communities. 

Its work is guided by the motto, ‘Because All Black People’s Lives Are Important’, “which serves as a reminder of our commitment to the human rights and dignity of all Black people who are vulnerable to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).” 

Black CAP notes that the reality is that more Black, African and Caribbean people are living with HIV and AIDS than ever. “At this time about 1 in 5 people living with HIV in Ontario are African, Caribbean or Black, yet we make up 1 in 20 of Ontario’s overall population.”

The agency is an important resource for the thousands of Black people in Toronto living with, or at risk for, HIV, AIDS and STIs.

Black CAP is Canada’s largest Black-specific AIDS service organization.