Scope of rapid HIV testing in private nonprofit urban community health settings in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
We examined patterns of rapid HIV testing in a multistage national random sample of private, nonprofit, urban community clinics and community-based organizations to determine the extent of rapid HIV test availability outside the public health system.


METHODS
We randomly sampled 12 primary metropolitan statistical areas in 4 regions; 746 sites were randomly sampled across areas and telephoned. Staff at 575 of the sites (78%) were reached, of which 375 were eligible and subsequently interviewed from 2005 to 2006.


RESULTS
Seventeen percent of the sites offered rapid HIV tests (22% of clinics, 10% of community-based organizations). In multivariate models, rapid test availability was more likely among community clinics in the South (vs West), clinics in high HIV/AIDS prevalence areas, clinics with on-site laboratories and multiple locations, and clinics that performed other diagnostic tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Rapid HIV tests were provided infrequently in private, nonprofit, urban community settings. Policies that encourage greater diffusion of rapid testing are needed, especially in community-based organizations and venues with fewer resources and less access to laboratories.
Bogart
Laura M
LM
RAND Corp, 1776 Main St, PO Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138, USA. lbog-art@rand.org
Howerton
Devery
D
Lange
James
J
Becker
Kirsten
K
Setodji
Claude Messan
CM
Asch
Steven M
SM
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003153:Community Health Services; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017149:Private Sector; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
D015483:HIV Antibodies