A street intercept survey to assess HIV-testing attitudes and behaviors.
Nationally, it has been estimated that 44% of adults in the United States have been tested for HIV, with substantial individual and community-level variations in HIV-testing attitudes and behaviors. HIV-testing behaviors and intentions and attitudes toward HIV testing, particularly toward home tests, were assessed among 385 adults recruited in a street intercept survey from a gay-identified agency, a substance-abuse treatment program, and inner-city community venues (a shopping mall and community center). Across these Los Angeles sites, the proportion of persons reported being tested for HIV in their lifetime (77%) was higher than the national estimate. Gay-identified agency (88%) and substance-abuse treatment program participants (99%) were more likely to have been tested than were the community participants (67%). Participants from a gay-identified agency were more likely to have had an anonymous test (51%) than were those from a substance-abuse treatment program (25%) or community sites (24%). Attitudes toward HIV testing, including mail-in home-test kits and instant home tests, were very positive. Most participants were willing to pay about $20 for a home-test kit. Participants from the community sites (82%) and the substance-abuse treatment program participants (87%) endorsed notification of HIV status to health departments and sexual partners more than did participants from the gay identified agency (48%). The street intercept survey appears to be a quick and feasible method to assess HIV testing in urban areas.
Rotheram-Borus
M J
MJ
AIDS Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. rotheram@ucla.edu
Mann
T
T
Newman
P A
PA
Grusky
O
O
Frerichs
R R
RR
Wight
R G
RG
Kuklinski
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population