Strong effects of home-based voluntary HIV counselling and testing on acceptance and equity: A cluster randomised trial in Zambia

► This is the first trial to rigorously evaluate a model for home-based VCT designed for a wider scale-up. ► Significantly more adults were tested through home-based VCT than through clinic-based HIV testing and counselling. ► The uptake was similarly high among men and women and the acceptance of couple counselling was high. ► Socio-economic inequities in access to HIV testing were levelled out in the intervention arm. ► No increase in negative life-events was observed after home-based VCT.