title: Anonymous versus confidential HIV testing: client and provider decision making under uncertainty.
abstract: Six intensive observational studies of HIV testing sites were undertaken in order to improve understanding of confidential and anonymous testing. Three sites offered only confidential testing (a large health maintenance organization's Urgent Care clinic, the same organization's HIV clinic, and a private medical practitioner's office), one offered only anonymous testing (a free clinic), and two offered a choice of confidential or anonymous testing (a thrift shop alternate testing site and a mobile testing unit). Multiple data collection strategies were used including direct field observation, semistructured interviews with clients and providers, and document and policy analysis. Using an organizational/interactional uncertainty framework, this study found that the choice between anonymous and confidential testing is a central aspect of the HIV testing process, that some clients are unclear about the differences between anonymous and confidential testing, that alternate testing sites' providers play a significant role in encouraging confidential rather than anonymous testing in order to further their organization's resource needs and public health goals, and that testing counselors' may consider that some clients prefer anonymous testing because of fear of stigma, discrimination, or loss of privacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1551, USA. grusky@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grusky
authors.forename: Kathleen Johnston
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Aimee Noelle
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Joniak
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leich
authors.forename: Gwen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McEvoy
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schilt
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D035041:Anonymous Testing / Q000523:psychology*; D003219:Confidentiality; D003376:Counseling; D003657:Decision Making; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D035501:Uncertainty