This is a cluster-randomized intervention trial aimed at assessing the effect of a community-based demand creation intervention on couples' HIV counseling and testing (couples' HCT) among 1,538 married couples with no prior couples' HCT experience, resident in three study regions/clusters in Rakai district. The study population is composed of couples in which both partners have never received couples' HCT. The intervention utilizes couple-focused meetings and men-only meetings to promote couples' HCT while invitation coupons are issued to all targeted couples inviting them to come for couples' HCT at designated health facilities within Rakai district. Initially, a qualitative sub-study was implemented to explore the motivations for and barriers to couples' HCT uptake - these aspects are important for the design of the intervention. This was followed by a baseline study to document the current levels of HCT uptake in the community, and then the intervention implementation followed suit. The study was implemented in 12 study communities; 6 of which served as the intervention while the other 6 served as comparison communities. Data collection for the post-intervention survey was completed in April 2015. Efforts are currently underway to assess linkage to and retention in HIV care among couples that tested as a result of the campaign.

The study has 3 inter-related sub-studies (objectives), namely: (i) Exploring the motivation for and barriers to couples' HCT uptake at community level (b) Assessing the effect of a demand creation intervention on couples' HCT uptake among married couples with no prior couples' HCT, and (c) Determining the effect of couples' HCT relative to individual HCT on linkage to and retention in HIV care among HIV-positive and HIV-discordant couples that are not yet in HIV care. Sub-study I comprises use of qualitative research methods to explore the motivation for and barriers to couples' HCT uptake through 18 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 12 key informant interviews. Findings from this sub-study helped to inform the design of a demand-creation HCT intervention aimed at improving couples' HCT uptake in selected communities in Rakai. Sub-study II is a one-year community intervention trial aimed at assessing the effect of a demand-creation intervention (comprising couple-focused meetings; couple invitation coupons; and men-only sensitization meetings) on couples' HCT uptake among couples with no prior couples' HCT experience. The study will be implemented in 3 study regions with differing HIV prevalence levels (low (9.7-11.2%), middle (11.4-16.4%) and high (20.5-43%)) in Rakai district. Overall, 1,538 eligible couples were invited to participate in the baseline study. Of these, 2,135 were interviewed at baseline and followed up 12 months later. In sub-study III, the investigators will enroll 462 couples in which at least one partner is HIV-positive and follow them up for 1, 3 and 6 months after HIV diagnosis to determine the effect of couples' HCT \[vis-à-vis individual HCT\] on timely linkage to and retention in HIV care.

To estimate the sample size for the intervention, the investigators assumed a minimum improvement in couples' HCT uptake of 10% in the intervention communities compared with a baseline of 25% in the standard of care/comparison communities (Grabowski et al. 2014). The investigators set two-sided alpha level at 0.05 and assumed a power of 90% to detect differences in the proportion of couples accepting couples' HCT between the intervention and comparison communities. The investigators used 12 study communities/clusters and accounted for cluster design effect using an intra-class correlation of 0.0039 based on an earlier study in Rakai (Todd et al. 2003). Based on these assumptions, the investigators estimated that they would need to enroll 769 couples in each arm (i.e. intervention and comparison communities), after adjusting for non-response rate (out-migration, refusal to participate, and loss to follow-up) estimated at 15% (Gray et al. 2007). The final sample was 1,538 couples (or 3,076 individuals). Sample size estimation was done using the sampsi and sampclus commands in STATA (STATA statistical software, version 11.2).