Impact of HIV Self-Testing on Recent HIV Testing Among Women in Uganda: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis Using the 2022 UDHS

The study examined the impact of HIV self-testing (HIVST) on recent HIV testing among women of reproductive age in Uganda using 2022 data. The research included 6,438 women aged 15-49 years. Among HIVST users, 67.4% of women tested for HIV in the past 12 months compared to 47.4% of non-users. After balancing observed factors using propensity score matching, HIVST use increased the likelihood of recent testing by 15.6 percentage points. The quality of matching was high, with mean bias reduced from 20.5% to 0.7%. The results suggest that expanding access to HIVST, particularly for women with lower education and from poorer wealth groups, could improve testing frequency and support progress toward UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets.