Racial/ethnic attitudes towards HIV testing in the primary care setting.
OBJECTIVE
To determine attitudes of patients towards routine HIV testing in the primary care setting.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey on the risk factors, beliefs, attitudes and knowledge of HIV/AIDS administered to 101 individuals present in urban primary care clinics in Providence, RI.


RESULTS
Previous HIV testing was done most frequently for those respondents requiring prenatal services and for those who were curious about their HIV status. Patients' perceptions of their personal risk for HIV infection and their self-identified risk factors were frequently discordant. Patients wanted to be tested routinely for HIV by their primary care providers, even when they did not feel that they were at high risk for HIV acquisition.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients in this study clearly indicated their desire to be tested for HIV routinely by their primary care providers. Routine HIV testing is a reasonable option to identify HIV infections in the primary care setting, as it is nondiscriminatory, allows increased awareness of actual risk for infection, and provides an opportunity for earlier detection of HIV.
Simmons
Emma M
EM
Center for Primary Care and Prevention, Medical Hospital of RI, Pawtucket, RI 02860, USA. Emma_Simmons@mhri.org
Rogers
Michelle L
ML
Frierson
Georita M
GM
Beckwith
Curt G
CG
Flanigan
Timothy P
TP
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology
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