Incentives to Promote Sustained Linkage to HIV Care

This study is in collaboration with Ezintsha, a sub-division of Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WRHI) in South Africa. This study will leverage on the existing research infrastructure of Ezintsha, including, HIVSS testing through the STAR initiative (Self-Test Africa), as well as HIV positive persons identified through other Ezintsha research studies and at Eztinsha affiliated health clinics.

This study will use a randomized trial design to test the effectiveness of incentives to increase confirmatory testing, linkage to care and viral suppression. The aim of this study is to determine whether HIV-infected men and women are more likely to achieve or maintain HIV virologic suppression if offered financial incentives vs. no incentives (standard of care).

Individuals who report receiving a reactive HIVSS test result on the STAR programme, or a HIV reactive test in another research study or at a affiliated clinic, will be randomized into one of two groups: a) a control group that receives the standard of care (SOC) for linkage to care; and b) an intervention group that receives financial incentives for confirmatory testing, linkage to care, and viral suppression.

Inclusion criteria

• Reported HIV positive
• Have a personal and/or valid phone number, that will remain active for 6 months
• Have a phone with WhatsApp, or text message feature
• Understand the Informed Consent form

Exclusion criteria

• Unwilling to provide informed consent
• Any condition which would make the participant unsuitable or unsafe for enrollment, i.e. being unable to see or read by forgetting to bring reading glasses, being intoxicated or acute sickness