{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T13:33:02Z","timestamp":1785418382219,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"AOSIS","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,20]],"date-time":"2025-12-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766188800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AJLM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0Despite progress toward the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV\/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets, Zambia faces persistent gaps in HIV testing coverage. The Ministry of Health implemented blood-based HIV self-testing (HIVST) to improve accessibility. This study evaluated the CheckNOW\u2122 HIVST kit\u2019s usability in Lusaka province health facilities.\nObjective:\u00a0To determine usability, awareness and user-friendliness of the CheckNOW\u2122 HIVST among Zambian adults.\nMethods:\u00a0We conducted a cross-sectional study from 04 September 2023 \u2013 22 September 2023 across four high-volume healthcare facilities. A total of 323 CheckNOW\u2122 HIVST kits were distributed, with 316 consenting adults successfully enrolled in the study. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered via face-to-face interviews following test completion, capturing information on socio-demographics, HIV testing history and user perception of the self-testing process. Descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis.\nResults:\u00a0Among 316 participants, 56.3% (178\/316) were female, and 41.5% (131\/316) were aged 25\u201334 years. The majority (95.0%, 300\/316;\u00a0p\u00a0&lt; 0.001) found the CheckNOW\u2122 kit easy to use, while 65.0% (206\/316) had prior awareness of HIVST. Additionally, 83.6% (264\/316;\u00a0p\u00a0&lt; 0.001) followed the test instructions correctly and independently. A high proportion (98.7%, 312\/316;\u00a0p\u00a0&lt; 0.001) expressed willingness to test again, and 99.7% (315\/316;\u00a0p\u00a0&lt; 0.001) would recommend it to others.\nConclusion:\u00a0The CheckNOW\u2122 blood-based HIVST kit demonstrated high usability and ease of use, supporting its potential to expand HIV testing coverage in Zambia. However, increased awareness efforts are necessary to maximise uptake and ensure broader accessibility.\nWhat this study adds:\u00a0This study provides the first evidence that blood-based HIV self-testing is feasible and acceptable within Zambian clinical settings. It offers a critical new strategy to expand testing coverage and reach key populations by integrating self-testing into routine health services.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/ajlm.v14i1.2903","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]],"date-time":"2025-12-18T12:04:39Z","timestamp":1766059479000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Usability of a blood-based HIV self-test kit in Lusaka province, Zambia: A cross-sectional analysis"],"prefix":"10.4102","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9914-9395","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fales Z.","family":"Mwamba","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03zn9xk79","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-3820-6134","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mwansa","family":"Mwape","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04gd6vy83","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Levy Mwanawasa Medical University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-3495-1073","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Brenda C.","family":"Simfukwe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04gd6vy83","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Levy Mwanawasa Medical University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-8257-7389","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nowella M.","family":"Musunga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04gd6vy83","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Levy Mwanawasa Medical University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6746-2259","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evans M","family":"Mathebula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9752-4000","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Geofrey","family":"Mupeta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04gd6vy83","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Levy Mwanawasa Medical University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Guidelines on HIV self-testing and partner notification [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2016 [cited 2025 Mar 01]. Available from: https:\/\/iris.who.int\/handle\/10665\/251655"},{"key":"ref1","unstructured":"Joint United Nations Programme on HIV\/AIDS (UNAIDS). 90-90-90: An ambitious treatment target to help end the AIDS epidemic [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2014 [cited 2025 Mar 01]. Available from: https:\/\/www.unaids.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media_asset\/90-90-90_en.pdf"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pant Pai N, Sharma J, Shivkumar S, et al. Supervised and unsupervised self-testing for HIV in high- and low-risk populations: A systematic review. PLoS Med. 2013;10(4):e1001414. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001414","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001414"},{"key":"ref3","unstructured":"UNICEF. CheckNOW HIV self-test, kit\/1T [homepage on the Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Mar 01]. 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Available from: https:\/\/www.moh.gov.zm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Zambia-HIV-Testing-Services-Guidelines-2022.pdf"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gupta-Wright A, Barnabas RV, Ingold H, Duneton P, Abubakar I. HIV self-testing: Lessons learnt and priorities for adaptation in a shifting landscape. BMJ Glob Health. 2021;6(suppl 4):e004693. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjgh-2020-004418","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2020-004418"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"O\u2019Reilly A, Mavhu W, Neuman M, et al. Accuracy of and preferences for blood-based versus oral-fluid-based HIV self-testing in Malawi: A cross-sectional study. BMC Infect Dis. 2024;22:979. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12879-024-09449-z","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-024-09231-1"},{"key":"ref15","unstructured":"Joint United Nations Programme on HIV\/AIDS (UNAIDS). Zambia country factsheets 2022 [homepage on the Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Mar 01]. 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J Int AIDS Soc. 2021;24(3):e25690. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/jia2.25690","DOI":"10.1002\/jia2.25690"},{"key":"ref32","unstructured":"Hlongwa M, Mashamba-Thompson T, Makhunga S, et al. Effectiveness of male-targeted HIVST promotion through social networks in South Africa. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1125325. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1125325"}],"container-title":["African Journal of Laboratory Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ajlmonline.org\/index.php\/ajlm\/article\/view\/2903\/3408","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]],"date-time":"2025-12-18T12:04:44Z","timestamp":1766059484000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ajlmonline.org\/index.php\/ajlm\/article\/view\/2903"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,20]]},"references-count":33,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/ajlm.v14i1.2903","relation":{},"ISSN":["2225-2002","2225-2010"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2225-2002","type":"print"},{"value":"2225-2010","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,20]]},"article-number":"a2903"}}