title: Uptake of HIV testing and HIV positivity among presumptive tuberculosis patients at Puducherry, South India.
abstract: METHODS
  Puducherry, a district in South India with a low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (<1% among antenatal women).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  1) To estimate the proportion of patients with known HIV status who were HIV-positive, 2) to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with unknown HIV status among presumptive TB patients, and 3) to assess the additional workload at HIV testing centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, consecutive presumptive TB patients attending microscopy centres for diagnosis during March-May 2013 were asked if they knew their HIV status. Patients with unknown HIV status were offered voluntary counselling and HIV testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1886 presumptive TB patients, HIV status was ascertained for 842 (44.6%); 28 (3.3%) were HIV-positive. The uptake of HIV testing was significantly higher in younger age groups, males, residents of Puducherry and smear-positive TB patients. The median increase in the number of clients tested for HIV per day per testing centre was 1 (range 0-6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The uptake of HIV testing was low. HIV prevalence was higher among presumptive TB patients than in antenatal women, and as high as in TB patients. With minimal increase in workload at HIV testing centres, HIV testing could be implemented using existing resources.
authors.affiliation: Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palanivel
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, South-East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A M V
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mahalakshmi
authors.affiliation: State TB Cell, Directorate of Health Services, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Govindarajan
authors.affiliation: Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claassens
authors.affiliation: State TB Cell, Directorate of Health Services, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satyanarayana
authors.affiliation: Pondicherry State AIDS Control Society, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gurumurthy
authors.affiliation: Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vasudevan
authors.affiliation: Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Purty
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization Country Office in India, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Paulraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Government of Puducherry, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Raman
keywords: HIV prevalence; India; TB suspects; low HIV setting; operational research; presumptive TB