Unmet demand, not reluctance: integrated HIV–tuberculosis community screening is highly acceptable in socioeconomically vulnerable adults in South India
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Background
Despite rising enthusiasm for active case-finding for TB, there have been concerns about conducting simultaneous HIV screenings due to perceived stigma, although the evidence to support this concern is scarce. We assessed the acceptability of integrated HIV–TB community screening and characterised participants’ motivations and prior testing history.
Methods
The SLIM study was a non-interventional cross-sectional study conducted in Puducherry (February 2023 – January 2024). In two community health camp-style screening events (one urban and one peri-urban), adults ≥18 years were offered TB screening via portable chest X-ray with AI-assisted interpretation (qXR, Qure.ai), plus sputum testing (Truenat), alongside point-of-care HIV testing. Structured questionnaires captured sociodemographics, prior testing history, and motivations for participation. Acceptability was pre-specified as >50% uptake.
Results
Of 273 eligible adults approached, 264 (96.7%) accepted integrated screening, nearly double our pre-specified threshold. Participants were predominantly low-income with limited formal employment. The dominant motivation was a desire to know one’s health status (HIV: 74.8%; TB: 73.7%), followed by convenience (16–17%). Prior HIV and TB testing was rare (7– 13% and 15–18%, respectively). Participation was uniformly high across demographic groups; however, the screened population skewed older and female (mean age 58 (standard deviation: 12.6) years; 67% female). Men under 45 comprised only 3.7% of participants — substantially below their 24.7% share in the Puducherry population per the most recent census.
Conclusions
Integrated HIV–TB screening achieved near-universal uptake in a socioeconomically vulnerable population with little prior testing exposure, contradicting concerns that community HIV screening would be poorly accepted in India. Integrated community-based screening should be scaled up as a cornerstone of TB elimination in high-burden settings. Crucially, because TB incidence in India peaks in the 15–45 age group and disproportionately affects men, targeted strategies to bring younger men and women into community screenings are essential.
