Failure to return for HIV test results: a pilot study of three community testing sites.
BACKGROUND
Individuals at elevated risk of contracting HIV frequently fail to return for their test result. Because rapid HIV antibody testing is still not widely implemented, failure to return for test results under conditions of standard testing remains a problem.


METHODS
Direct field observation and semistructured interviews with clients (N = 16) and test counselors (N = 16) of 3 community HIV testing sites were conducted.


RESULTS
Clients faced 5 barriers to receiving their result: (1) fear, (2) busyness, (3) apathy,(4) inebriation at the time of testing, and (5) testing "on a whim." Motivators that encouraged clients to receive their results were (1) positive counselor/client interactions, (2) client-friendly policies regarding picking up the test result, (3) clients' psychological "need to know," (4) incentives for picking up the result, and (5) established protocols for contacting clients who fail to return.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings highlight the need for interventions to improve the return rate for HIV results.
Grusky
Oscar
O
Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1551, USA. grusky@ucla.edu
Roberts
Kathleen Johnston
KJ
Swanson
Aimee-Noelle
AN
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States