Do men face more barriers to HIV testing than women? Evidence from Zimbabwe

What is it about?

HIV testing is the first step to accessing treatment and preventing transmission, but many people—especially men—do not test regularly. In this study, we analysed data from a large, long-term survey conducted in eastern Zimbabwe between 2018 and 2023 to understand whether men face greater barriers to HIV testing than women, and whether HIV self-testing (HIVST) can help address these challenges. We found that men were consistently less likely than women to test for HIV through conventional services. Barriers included limited time, stigma, and lower engagement with health services. However, HIV self-testing—where individuals can test themselves privately—showed strong potential to overcome these barriers. Men were more likely to use HIV self-testing when it was available, as it offered greater convenience, privacy, and autonomy. The study highlights how different groups face different challenges in accessing HIV services, and shows that one-size-fits-all approaches may not be effective. HIV self-testing can play an important role in reaching men who are less likely to engage with traditional health services

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Why is it important?

This study provides robust longitudinal evidence that men face persistent structural and behavioural barriers to HIV testing compared to women. It demonstrates that HIV self-testing is a practical and scalable solution to improve testing uptake among men—one of the key populations underserved by conventional services. The findings support the integration of HIV self-testing into national HIV programmes as a targeted strategy to reduce gender disparities in testing, improve early diagnosis, and accelerate progress toward HIV epidemic control. Importantly, the results highlight the need for differentiated, people-centred approaches rather than uniform service delivery models

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