What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore barriers and facilitators affecting men’s linkage to and retention in HIV care post-HIV self-testing positive results.

May 24, 2026Open Access

Social media helped me overcome my fear of taking HIV treatment: men’s experiences and perspectives on linkage to and retention in HIV care following reactive HIV self-testing results: preliminary findings from a qualitative study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Puntos clave

To explore barriers and facilitators affecting men’s linkage to and retention in HIV care post-HIV self-testing positive results.
Qualitative interviews conducted with men aged 18-49 years in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Focus on perceptions regarding HIV care systems and social media's impact on treatment adherence.
Men reported social media as a supportive tool, helping to reduce fears around HIV treatment.
Participants identified stigma and lack of supportive networks as significant barriers to ART initiation.
Facilitators included peer support and informational resources accessed through social platforms.

Resumen

Despite the many interventions that have been implemented in sub-Saharan Africa to improve the uptake of HIV testing and antiretroviral (ART) initiation services, the rates at which men are tested for HIV and initiated on ART have remained consistently lower compared to those for women. We aimed to investigate barriers and facilitators for linkages to and retention in HIV care following HIVST positive results among men aged between 18 and 49 years, and use these findings to inform the design of an intervention to improve linkages to and retention in HIV care among men in a high-HIV prevalent district in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

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