Frequent HIV testing among participants of a routine HIV testing program

Abstract

Massachusetts developed a routine HIV testing program in four sites from January–September 2002. Of the 2,502 patients tested, 453 (18.1%) reported ≥2 HIV tests within the prior three years. In multivariate analyses, frequent HIV testing was associated with younger age (18–30 years, OR = 1.42), a history of injection drug use (OR = 6.35), and men who had sex with men (OR = 3.49). Participants who reported multiple sexual partners (OR = 2.17) and high risk sexual behavior (OR = 2.02) were significantly more likely to have had a prior HIV test. Patients whose HIV risk was unknown had the highest association with frequent testing (OR = 13.18). Because characteristics of frequent HIV testers may inform behavioral interventions, there is a need to understand the motivation for repeatedly accessing HIV testing services.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Massachusetts Department of Public Health, AIDS Bureau, National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH073445, R01 MH65869), and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (K24 AI062476) and the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI060354). The authors would like to thank Bethany L. Morris for her technical assistance.

Figures and Tables

Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of the sample population in a cohort of routine HIV testing in massachusetts

Table 2 Independent predictors of frequent HIV testing in the multivariate logistic model