Presenter: Kelli O’Laughlin, MD, MPH Brigham & Women’s Hospital Harvard Medical School Harvard Humanitarian Initiative July 2012, IAS Kelli N. O’Laughlin, Zikama M. Faustin, Shada A. Rouhani, Norma C. Ware Increasing HIV Testing Among African Refugees: Intervening in the Daily Survival Cycle to Encourage Priority Shifting Increasing HIV Testing Among African Refugees NAKIVALE

METHODS: Open ended interviews with adult refugees on ART (n=73) and clinic staff (n=4) [March- July 2011]: (1)accessibility of HIV/AIDS-related testing and care (2)experiences of ART adherence (3)perspectives on how to improve access to testing and care, adherence, and retention

RESULTS: Competing daily hardships Present to clinic for testing and initial evaluation with advanced disease Barriers to HIV testing: – Difficulty accessing testing facilities – Fear of stigma associated with diagnosis – Low self-perceived risk of disease – Lack of knowledge regarding the potential benefits of medical therapy