Case finding for HIV-positive youth: a special type of hidden population.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the HIV case finding strategies used by the Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS), Adolescent HIV Outreach and Treatment programs, the populations of youth they were able to reach, and the populations of HIV-positive youth they were able to identify.


METHODS
Program specifications from five programs located in four major metropolitan centers were contrasted. Four of the programs also provided outcome data for HIV counseling and testing outcome numbers, demographic and risk profile data for youth who underwent HIV testing, and mode of infection of HIV-positive youth.


RESULTS
The program outcomes were discussed in terms of similarities and differences in outreach methods (e.g., peer workers, time of outreach, etc.), geographic settings (i.e., mobile van, institutional settings, community locations), individual characteristics (e.g., pregnant women) and youth subcultures (i.e., gay/transgendered, incarcerated juveniles, homeless).


CONCLUSIONS
Because HIV-positive adolescents will constitutionally remain a "hidden population," a great deal of time and effort will continue to need to go into the front end of outreach, counseling and testing. Specific guidance and recommendations for locating HIV-positive youth were provided to program designers for each type of outreach strategy.
Bell
Douglas N
DN
Division of Adolescent Medicine, Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Martinez
Jaime
J
Botwinick
Geri
G
Shaw
Kimberly
K
Walker
Lynn E
LE
Dodds
Sally
S
Sell
Randall L
RL
Johnson
Robert L
RL
Friedman
Lawrence B
LB
Sotheran
Jo L
JL
Siciliano
Carl
C
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000328:Adult; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014481:United States; D019037:Urban Health Services