(P119) Lessons learned from the introduction of Multilingual HIV and syphilis testing events for foreign residents in Tokyo

Project: As a part of the research project to improve access to HIV testing and medical services among foreign residents, we organized free and anonymous multilingual HIV and syphilis testing events in Tokyo. The events were advertised in easy Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Nepali via the project's Facebook page, foreign communities, and dating apps and directed to the booking site in those languages. At the event, online interpretation was available for those languages.
Issue: The number of foreign residents in Japan was approximately 3 million in 2022, 40% of whom live in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and 80% are from neighboring Asian countries. In 2021, 32% of foreign residents did not know about their HIV infection until they developed AIDS. In Japan, public health centers offer free anonymous HIV testing, mostly in the Japanese language.

Results: From November 2021 to January 2023, we conducted the testing events six times. Fifty-three people from 17 different nationalities took the test. Ninety-one percent were male; 85% were in their 20s or 30s; 91% had been in Japan for more than two years. Forty-three percent learned about the event via a dating app, 20.8% from friends, and 18.9% from Facebook. Forty percent took the test for the first time, and 76% took the test “to know my status.” No HIV-positive cases were identified, but two new syphilis cases were referred to medical facilities.
Lessons learned: The number of reservations and participants who learned about the events from their friends has been increasing with each passing event, suggesting that awareness of this event is spreading among foreign residents. However, on average, 40% of those who made the reservation did not attend the event. Most participants were able to communicate in either Japanese or English. Thus, there may be a need for better-devising ways to publicize the event and target in some languages. We also hypothesize that some may still feel uncomfortable taking the in-person tests. Therefore, we need to investigate the possibility of making mail HIV testing multilingual.