Earlier this year, China Male Tongzhi Health Forum (CMTHF), the largest network of community-based organizations of men having sex with men (MSM) in China, released an evaluation report on the effectiveness of community-based HIV rapid testing in China. The report analyzes efforts of 12 MSM organizations across 15 cities in China in order to demonstrate the important role of community-based organizations in HIV/AIDS treatment access.

The evaluation report documents 10,513 incidents of HIV rapid testing conducted over a period of 18 months. Eighty-nine percent of those who tested positive at the screening were successfully referred to the local Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for confirmatory testing, and 90% of those individuals eligible for antiretroviral therapy have started treatment. The report demonstrates not only that CBO-based rapid testing presents an opportunity to expand testing coverage among MSM with a higher rate of follow-up, but also that it is a cost-effective approach.  In recommendations addressed to national and local CDCs, CMTHF urged the government to increase its procurement of CBO services to further expand CBO-based rapid testing across China.

Please download the full report here. [中文] [EN]

For related information, please see Rapid HIV Tests in China: The Voice From Community-based Organizations.

The China Male Tongzhi Health Forum (CMTHF) consists of 62 MSM organizations and 12 individual members from all over China. Founded in 2008, CMTHF actively promotes MSMs participation in the AIDS response through policy advocacy, organizational capacity building, information services, and other initiatives.