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. 2023 Jul 26:11:1180813.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1180813. eCollection 2023.

De-medicalized and decentralized HIV testing: a strategy to test hard-to-reach men who have sex with men in Cameroon

Jean Paul Bienvenu Enama Ossomba  1 , Patrice Ngangue  2 , Antoine Silvère Olongo Ekani  3 , Edgar Tanguy Kamgain  3
Affiliations

De-medicalized and decentralized HIV testing: a strategy to test hard-to-reach men who have sex with men in Cameroon

Jean Paul Bienvenu Enama Ossomba et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Conventional HIV testing performed by a health professional has shown its limitations in targeting marginalized and vulnerable populations. Indeed, men who have sex with men (MSM) due to social discrimination are often uncomfortable using this service at the health facilities level. In this perspective, new differentiated approaches have been thought through de-medicalized and decentralized HIV testing (DDHT). This HIV testing strategy enables overcoming the structural, legal, and social barriers that prevent these populations from quickly accessing HIV services. This article discusses the prerequisites and added value of implementing this strategy for MSM living in a criminalized context and its implication in decentralizing health services toward the community level.

Keywords: HIV testing; decentralisation; demedicalisation; key population groups; low-and-middle-income countries.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The training cycle of peer educators for DDHT implementation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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