Characterization of patients accepting and refusing routine, voluntary hiv antibody testing in public sexually transmitted disease clinics

Samuel L. Groseclose, Beth Erickson, Thomas C. Quinn, David Glasser, Carl H. Campbell, Edward W. Hook

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background and Objectives: To determine the proportion of HIV-infected sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic patients identified during routine, voluntary HIV counseling and testing and to characterize patients accepting and refusing counseling and testing, we linked data from a blinded HIV seropre-valence survey to data from the HIV counseling and testing program. Goal of this Study: This study characterizes patients accepting and refusing routine HIV counseling and testing in two public STD clinics. Study Design: A cross-sectional, blinded HIV seropreva-lence survey was conducted of 1,232 STD clinic patients offered HIV counseling and testing. Results: HIV seroprevalence was higher among patients who refused voluntary testing (7.8% versus 3.6%, P = 0.001). Patients who refused testing were more likely to report a prior HIV test (45.6% versus 27.2%; P < 0.001). Among patients reporting a prior HIV test, differences were noted between reported prior results, both positive and negative, and blinded results. Conclusions: HIV-infected STD patients may not be detected by routine HIV testing, and self-reported HIV results should be confirmed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)31-35
Number of pages5
JournalSexually transmitted diseases
Volume21
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1994
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dermatology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

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