Procedures
fluid‐based, fast‐track HIV, HIV testing/HIV status, violent, 24‐hour
Study staff provided counselling about HIV status disclosure, importance of male partner testing and support for mutual disclosure. Women in the intervention arm were provided a brief HIVST demonstration and given two oral fluid‐based HIVSTs (OraQuick rapid HIV‐1/2) to share with their partners. Written and pictorial instructions in English/Luganda indicated how to perform the test and interpret the results. Women were counselled to assess the risk of IPV when deciding whether and how to introduce HIVST or an invitation letter to partners. PLWHIV were not obligated to distribute self‐tests to partners, particularly those they believed could become violent after introducing HIV testing. Study counsellors discussed with women key messages to use after partner testing, and encouragement for their partner to link to ART/PrEP. Women in the HIVST arm could call a toll‐free 24‐hour helpline if they had questions, needed help explaining counselling messages to their partner or experienced social harms.Women in the SOC arm were provided a letter to deliver to their partner, inviting him to come to the clinic for fast‐track HIV testing, alone or as a couple. Invitation letters included positively framed messages to men about ART/PrEP benefits, depending on their status, and information on contacting the 24‐hour helpline about results and referrals. Letters had unique numbers to allow linkage of the man's testing to his partner. With the woman's approval, a male counsellor called the male partner if she reported giving him the kit or letter and he had not enrolled after 1 month.The study aimed to link the male partner to the research clinic, confirm his HIV status and offer ART (if he tested positive) or PrEP (if he tested negative). Lamivudine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate as PrEP is SOC in Uganda but has not been consistently or widely offered to male partners of PWLHIV. Men were consented to participate for up to 12 months post‐partum (Figure Study visit frequency aligned with PMTCT schedules and occurred every 3 months post‐partum through 12 months. Women were asked about their medical history, prior pregnancies, partner's history of HIV testing/HIV status and her assessment of IPV risk from offering him HIVST. Women were counselled about strategies to minimize social harms from HIVST and/or disclosure and referred to social support services if social harms occurred.Male follow‐up began at their enrolment and ended when their partner reached 12 months post‐partum. Clinic‐based HIV testing for all men was performed using serial rapid tests [