Comparison of the clientele of an anonymous HIV test centre and persons tested in the general population.
This study compares the clientele of a Swiss anonymous test centre with the general population tested. Information was obtained through similar questionnaires submitted to two samples of HIV-tested people aged from 17 to 45 years: the first administered in the context of a general population telephone survey (n = 245) and the second completed during face-to-face interviews of the clientele of an anonymous test centre (n = 250). The test centre sample has higher proportions of younger and single people. Attenders for anonymous testing were more likely to have acquired a new regular partner during the year preceding the interview (48.0% versus 14.4%). These differences remain when controlling for age and gender. Decision to test comes mostly from the respondent's own initiative, but suggestion from a doctor is more frequent in the general population (23.8% versus 0.8%), whereas suggestion from partner or friends is more frequent in the anonymous centre (44.4% versus 3.0%). The anonymous test centre clientele is not different from the general population tested except for the relational situation and origin of decision for testing. The test centre has become a place where the general population finds a response to a situation-specific need for HIV testing.
Rossi
I
I
Faculty of Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Ilario.Rossi@hospvd.ch
Jeannin
A
A
Dubois-Arber
F
F
Guex
P
P
Vannotti
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology