title: A novel time-limited pop-up HIV testing service for gay men in Sydney, Australia, attracts high-risk men.
abstract: Background HIV diagnoses have been increasing steadily in Australia and are concentrated among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM). HIV testing is a key control strategy, and in 2013, a novel time-limited pop-up community HIV testing service (Pop-up) was introduced to raise awareness and increase testing options for GBM. The Pop-up service offered rapid HIV tests only. We compared uptake and outcomes of the Pop-up service to an established clinical model [a fast-track screening service in a sexual health clinic offering rapid and/or conventional HIV tests and sexually transmissible infection (STI) tests].
  
  
  METHODS
  Service delivery data was collated and analysed from the HIV Pop-up (25 November to 1 December 2013) and the fast-track HIV/STI screening service (Xpress) in a sexual health clinic immediately before the Pop-up (1 August to 22 November 2013). A comparison of all the HIV tests and results, tests per hour and characteristics of new clients (demographics, risk behaviour, testing history) was conducted using χ(2), Poisson distribution and Ranksum tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the Pop-up service, 182 GBM had a rapid HIV test conducted over the 5-day period (average: seven HIV tests per hour) and no HIV tests were reactive (0%, 95% confidence interval: 0-1.8%). At the Xpress service, 1075 asymptomatic GBM had at least one STI test and 957 GMB had a HIV test (rapid or conventional) conducted over the 3-month period (average: four HIV tests per hour), with two positive HIV tests (0.2%, 95% confidence interval: 0.02-0.7) and 151 positive STI tests (14%, 95% confidence interval: 12-16.2). Compared with new patients at the Xpress service, GBM attending the Pop-up service were older (median of 39 vs 29 years, P<0.01); more likely to report ≥5 sexual partners in the past 3 months (P=0.02); more likely to reside in 'Gay Sydney' (P<0.01); and more likely to be tested for HIV (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Time-limited Pop-up community HIV testing is feasible and reached high-risk GBM, but compared with a clinic-based model, it only reached a smaller proportion of GBM who test infrequently or who have never been tested and are unaware of their HIV status. No STI testing was conducted through the Pop-up service, which allowed a higher throughput of HIV tests; however, a significant number of STIs may have been missed.
authors.affiliation: Sydney Sexual Health Centre, South East Sydney Local Health District, PO Box 1614, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia.
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.affiliation: The Kirby Institute, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.affiliation: ACON, 414 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2060, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parkhill
authors.affiliation: NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.affiliation: SydPath St Vincent's Hospital Sydney Limited, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leeman
authors.affiliation: Sydney Sexual Health Centre, South East Sydney Local Health District, PO Box 1614, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.affiliation: The Kirby Institute, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Keen
authors.affiliation: The Kirby Institute, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wand