CHARACTERIZATION OF PATIENTS ACCEPTING AND REFUSING ROUTINE, VOLUNTARY HIV ANTIBODY TESTING IN PUBLIC SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASE CLINICS

Background and Objectives: To determine the proportion of HIV-infected sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic patients identified during routine, voluntary HIV counseling and testing and to characterize pati ents accepting and refusing counseling and testing, we linked data fro m a blinded HIV seroprevalence survey to data from the HIV counseling and testing program. Goal of this Study: This study characterizes pati ents accepting and refusing routine HIV counseling and testing in two public STD clinics. Study Design: A cross-sectional, blinded HIV serop revalence survey was conducted of 1,232 STD clinic patients offered HI V counseling and testing. Results: HIV seroprevalence was higher among patients who refused voluntary testing (7.8% versus 3.6%, P = 0.001). Patients who refused testing were more likely to report a prior HIV t est (45.6% versus 27.2%; P < 0.001). Among patients reporting a prior HIV test, differences were noted between reported prior results, both positive and negative, and blinded results. Conclusions: HIV-infected STD patients may not be detected by routine HIV testing, and self-repo rted HIV results should be confirmed.