Experiences of social support among persons seeking HIV testing

We interviewed 15 HIV test seekers to understand how social support acted either as a facilitator or barrier to HIV testing. Participants were recruited at community outreach testing sites in South Africa and participated in qualitative interviews which were then analysed using thematic analysis. We identified three main themes, namely, the social phenomenon of perceived risk as a facilitator to HIV testing, social support as a way of managing distress and the public health service as a supportive environment, which all played a role in test-seeking among participants. The results are integrated with the current debates on HIV testing in South Africa.