{ "abstract": "HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a crucial innovation for improving testing coverage, particularly among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) who are inadequately reached by standard provider-assisted HIV testing approaches. Understanding their preferences for HIVST services is essential for designing models that optimize uptake. We assessed the HIVST preferences among AGYW at a higher risk of acquiring HIV living in urban Uganda. We enrolled AGYW at a higher risk of HIV using a community-based convenience sampling in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Each participant completed eight choice sets, each comprising of two hypothetical HIVST service alternatives and an opt-out option. The four attributes included level of assistance (assisted versus unassisted), distribution model (facility-based versus community-based), delivery channel (primary versus secondary) and sample type (oral swab versus blood). A mixed logit model was used to estimate the marginal utilities, relative importance (RI), HIVST profile utilities and predicted uptake (compared to opt-out). Between December 2024 and May 2025, 340 participants were enrolled with mean age 19.8 years (standard deviation (SD): 2.6), and 65.9% of them were not in school. In the main effects model, participants preferred; facility-based over community-based distribution model (β = 0.14 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06, 0.23)), primary over secondary delivery channel (β = 0.09 (95% CI: 0.00, 0.17)), and unassisted over assisted testing (β = 0.46 (95% CI: 0.37, 0.54). The sample type didn’t significantly influence the preferences of participants to use HIVST (β = 0.05 (95%CI: -0.04, 0.13). The level of assistance emerged as the most important attribute (RI: 60%), followed by facility-based distribution model (RI: 18.9%) and primary delivery channel (RI: 12.2%). There was a significant interaction between delivery channel and level of assistance (β = 0.66 (95% CI: 0.07, 1.24)). Primary delivery was preferred over secondary delivery when testing was unassisted (β = 0.41 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.71), but not when testing was assisted (β = -0.25 (95% CI: -0.56, 0.06). AGYW preferred HIVST models combining primary delivery with unassisted testing while facility-based distribution also increased preference. This highlights the importance of considering both individual attributes and their interaction when designing HIV delivery models.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda", "Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda", "Clinical Epidemiology Unit, School of Medicine, College of health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda", "Faculty of Graduate Studies, Makerere University Business School, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda", "Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda", "Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda", "Directorate of Research, Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Uganda, Kampala, Uganda", "Department of Programs, Makerere University Joint AIDS Program, Kampala, Uganda", "Research Department Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda" ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 9, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Laban Muteebwa" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Patience A. Muwanguzi" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Shivan Nuwasiima" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Ivan Ahimbisibwe" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Edson Atwine" }, { "affs": [ 5 ], "name": "Dan Muramuzi" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Cathbert Tumusiime" }, { "affs": [ 7 ], "name": "Fred C. Semitala" }, { "affs": [ 8 ], "name": "Joanita Nangendo" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9eb6e8mw9m3ng.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pgph.0005431", "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0005431", "id": "9eb6e8mw9m3ng", "issns": [ "2767-3375" ], "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0005431", "language": null, "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "journal", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "openalex", "2725|HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Body fluids/Blood" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Viral pathogens/Immunodeficiency viruses/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Viral pathogens/Retroviruses/Lentivirus/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive science/Cognition/Decision making" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive science/Cognitive psychology/Decision making" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Viruses/Immunodeficiency viruses/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Viruses/RNA viruses/Retroviruses/Lentivirus/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Viruses/Viral pathogens/Immunodeficiency viruses/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Viruses/Viral pathogens/Retroviruses/Lentivirus/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Body fluids/Blood" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Decision making" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Body fluids/Blood" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Diagnostic medicine/Virus testing" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Epidemiology/Medical risk factors" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Health care/Health care facilities" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Viral diseases/HIV infections" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Viral pathogens/Immunodeficiency viruses/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Viral pathogens/Retroviruses/Lentivirus/HIV" ], [ "plos", "/People and places/Geographical locations/Africa/Uganda" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Decision making" ] ], "openalex": "W7214005743", "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0005431&type=printable", "pmcid": null, "pmid": null, "published": "2026-09-22", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9eb6e8mw9m3ng.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pgph.0005431", "source": "plos", "url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0005431" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:microbiology", "subfield": "microbiology" }, { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:neuroscience", "subfield": "neuroscience" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:anatomy", "subfield": "physiology" } ], "title": "HIV self-testing preferences among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in urban settings in Uganda: A discrete choice experiment", "title_text": "HIV self-testing preferences among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in urban settings in Uganda: A discrete choice experiment", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9eb6e8mw9m3ng", "venue": "PLOS Global Public Health", "versions": [] }