Missed opportunities for HIV testing among high-risk heterosexuals.
BACKGROUND
HIV testing is an important HIV prevention strategy, yet heterosexuals at high risk do not test as frequently as other groups. We examined the association of past year HIV testing and encounters with institutional settings where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual testing for high-risk heterosexuals.


METHODS
We recruited high-risk heterosexuals in New York City in 2006 to 2007 through respondent-driven sampling. Respondents were asked the date of their most recent HIV test and any potential encounters with 4 testing settings (homeless shelters, jails/prisons, drug treatment programs, and health care providers). Analyses were stratified by gender.


RESULTS
Of the 846 respondents, only 31% of men and 35% of women had a past year HIV test, but over 90% encountered at least one testing setting. HIV seroprevalence was 8%. In multiple logistic regression, recent HIV testing was significantly associated with recent encounters with homeless shelters and jails/prisons for men, and encounters with health care providers for both men and women.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV testing was low overall but higher for those with exposures to potential routine testing settings. Further expansion of testing in these settings would likely increase testing rates and may decrease new HIV infections among high-risk heterosexuals.
Jenness
Samuel M
SM
HIV Epidemiology Program, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York 10003, USA. sjenness@health.nyc.gov
Murrill
Christopher S
CS
Liu
Kai-Lih
KL
Wendel
Travis
T
Begier
Elizabeth
E
Hagan
Holly
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006282:Health Personnel; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011329:Prisoners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*