THE ACCEPTABILITY OF ORAL FLUID TESTING FOR HIV ANTIBODIES - A PILOT-STUDY IN GAY BARS IN A PREDOMINANTLY RURAL STATE

Background: One barrier for individuals desiring human immunodeficienc y virus (HIV) antibody testing has been the lack of alternatives to bl ood HIV testing. Oral fluid HIV testing provides another testing optio n. Objectives: To evaluate the acceptability of oral fluid testing for HIV antibodies in a gay bar outreach setting. Study Design: This pilo t study was conducted using the HIV Risk Behavior Survey (HRBS) and Or aSure acceptability survey in gay bars in Columbia, South Carolina dur ing July and August, 1997. Results: Of the 118 HRBS participants, 54% agreed to take the oral fluid test with 6% testing positive. A majorit y (91%) of participants felt comfortable with the oral HIV antibody te sting in gay bars. Also, 21.8% of individuals in the OraSure study wer e tested for the first time. Conclusion: This study indicates that ora l fluid testing for HIV antibodies in an outreach setting is acceptabl e and effective in reaching individuals who do not usually access trad itional testing sites.