Index testing increases HIV testing and diagnoses among contacts in 20 CDC-supported countries

An observational report from 20 CDC-supported countries examined the implementation of index testing for HIV among contacts of index patients from October 2016 to March 2018. The intervention involved scaling up HIV testing services for these contacts. The report found an increase in both the number of persons tested for HIV and the number who received a diagnosis of HIV infection. No absolute numbers, effect sizes, or statistical measures (p-values or confidence intervals) were reported for these increases. Safety and tolerability data were not reported. Key limitations include the observational design, lack of a control group, absence of statistical analysis, and unreported sample sizes. The timeframe was limited to 18 months. The practice relevance is restrained; this report describes an association between program scale-up and increased testing and diagnoses in specific settings. It does not establish causality or quantify the magnitude of benefit. Generalizability beyond these 20 CDC-supported countries is uncertain.