Background: New diagnosis of HIV can be psychologically challenging, and presents an important opportunity to improve health literacy and engagement in care.  Peer-led interventions are an effective means of providing support to people living with HIV (PLWH).  We present an evaluation of a newly-diagnosed course (NDC) in London.  Method:  The NDC, established in its current form in 2011, is accessible to ‘those recently diagnosed or struggling with diagnosis’.  Providing a structured, peer-led, group-based, participatory programme delivered by experienced facilitators. NDC comprises 6 sessions (21 contact hours).   All participants were invited to complete pre-and post-course questionnaires (using a 4-or 5-point scale), most did at the first and last sessions. This analysis presents data from 2011-2016.  Data were analysed in STATA using Wilcoxon signed rank test.   Results:  Across 30 NDCs, 314 participants completed both questionnaires (response rate 87%).  The majority were men who have sex with men (91.3%), 72% of whom were of white ethnicity.  Approximately 15% were female, the majority Black-African ethnicity (56%) and heterosexual (88%).  Heterosexual men and transgender individuals represented 6.5% and 0.3% respectively. The table summarises participant’s responses for selected questions (P Values <0.001 for all comparisons):
Pre- and Post-Course Questions:
❖Pre-course n/N (%)
❖Post-course n/N (%)
*Current emotional state
144/136 (43)
287/339 (85)
*Confidence in dealing with HIV status
130/335 (39)
307/339 (91)
*Confidence around sex and relationships
46/336 (14)
172/279 (62)
*Confidence in the future
130/338 (39)
290/332 (90)
How confident do you feel about disclosing your HIV status?
26/338 (8)
136/340 (40)
How satisfied are you with your ability to get more information about HIV medications?
97/336 (29)
130/314 (41)
How much knowledge do you have about how HIV is transmitted?
183/337 (54)
324/340 (95)
How much do you know about how to access Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)?
169/337 (28)
274/340 (81)
How much knowledge do you have about CD4 count and HIV viral load?
82/337 (24)
300/340 (88)
Personal satisfaction with NDC overall n/N (%) rating ‘mostly’ or ‘fully’ useful

324/328 (99)
*Questions headed: “Thinking about your HIV how would you rate the following” ❖ Respondents rating highest using 4- or 5-point scale
 Conclusion:  This innovated peer-led NDC engaged over 300 PLWH since 2011, resulting in short-term self-reported improvements. 6-and 12-month questionnaires would assess durability of changes, and we’re exploring the association with attendance at NDC and clinical outcomes (e.g. viral suppression and retention in care).  In conclusion, the NDC is a sustainable and acceptable model, providing holistic support and promoting self-management in PLWH.

Five years of feedback for The Newly Diagnosed Course – An evaluation of a peer-Led intervention for people diagnosed with HIV

The Joint Annual Conference of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV & the Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Ireland