New Online Course on Partner and Family-Based Index Testing for HIV

Testing is essential for slowing the spread of HIV. For people with undiagnosed HIV, testing is the first step in maintaining a healthy life and preventing transmission. Index testing, also known as partner notification, tests people who have been exposed and connects those who are positive to services. However, even when using index testing, it can still be extremely challenging to identify undiagnosed clients.

Our new online program, the JSI Partner and Family-Based Index Testing e-Course, was designed for providers, managers, and supervisors working in health facilities and community HIV testing service settings. The course, based on technical content from WHO, PEPFAR, CDC, USAID, and UNAIDS, covers the benefits of index testing, procedures for delivering assisted partner notification, and standards for documenting index testing services. It also includes some of JSI’s best practices from over five years of implementing index testing services in multiple sub-Saharan African countries. Reference materials, pre- and post-tests, and a printable completion certificate are included.

After completing the course, providers will have the skills to provide index testing to eligible clients in an effective, safe, and ethical manner. The supervisory modules include information on operations, human resources, financial and data monitoring, and supportive supervision considerations for implementing an index testing program.