HIV testing behaviour among heterosexual migrants in Amsterdam

Abstract

This cross-sectional study among heterosexual migrant groups in south-eastern Amsterdam, the city area where the largest migrant groups live, provides an insight into HIV testing behaviour in this particular group. Participants were recruited at street locations (May 1997-July 1998) and interviewed using structured questionnaires. They also donated saliva for HIV testing. In total, 705 males and 769 females were included in this study (Afro-Surinamese (45%), Dutch-Antilleans (15%) and West Africans (40%)). Prior HIV testing was reported by 38% of all migrants (556/1479), of which only a minority (28%) had actively requested HIV testing. Multivariate logistic regression showed that not actively requesting HIV testing was more likely among younger (<23 years) migrants, especially women (OR_women: 4.79, p<0.01, OR_men: 1.81, p<0.05). Furthermore, women without previous STI treatment (OR 2.19, p<0.05) with Afro-Surinamese ethnicity (OR 2.12, p<0.05), men without health insurance (OR 2.17, p<0.05) and with low education (p<0.01) were also more likely to not actively request HIV testing. Active requests for HIV testing in case of HIV risk should be facilitated by promoting HIV testing and by improving accurate self-assessment of risk for HIV infection, especially among the groups that do not actively request HIV testing. This would increase HIV awareness and provide the opportunity of better medical care earlier in HIV infection.