Does name-based HIV reporting deter high-risk persons from HIV testing? Results from San Francisco.
OBJECTIVE
Name-based HIV reporting has been recommended as a method to track the HIV epidemic but may deter or delay at-risk persons from HIV testing. Previous studies of a deterrent effect of HIV reporting were not conducted in areas with high HIV infection rates and politically active populations.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional survey, men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited from gay bars, heterosexuals recruited from the sexually transmitted disease clinic, and injection drug users (IDUs) recruited from street venues were administered a face-to-face anonymous questionnaire.


RESULTS
Ninety-four percent of the 118 MSM, 76% of the 99 heterosexuals, and 97% of 105 IDUs surveyed were tested. Six percent of MSM, 9% of heterosexuals, and none of the IDUs correctly identified California's HIV reporting regulations. Of the 75 (25%) participants who thought California had a name-based HIV reporting system, 2 were never tested and 23 had not been tested in the past 12 months. None of those who had never been tested and 2 of those who had not been tested in the past 12 months cited fear of being reported as a reason for not testing recently.


CONCLUSIONS
Fear of reporting is an infrequently cited reason for deterring or delaying testing.
Schwarcz
Sandra
S
San Francisco Department of Public Health, 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA. sandy.schwarz@sfdph.org
Stockman
Jamila
J
Delgado
Viva
V
Scheer
Susan
S
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D035041:Anonymous Testing; D003219:Confidentiality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018563:Disease Notification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012495:San Francisco; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous