HIV Testing

This article discusses the problem of late HIV testing in the United States and emphasizes the importance of HIV testing, diagnosis, and treatment, soon after HIV infection and before developing AIDS, to prevent more severe illness and death and reduce HIV transmission. Findings are reported from a study in which CDC analyzed data from 1996 - 2005 from 34 states with confidential name-based reporting to determine the percentage of persons who received an AIDS diagnosis less than or equal to 3 years after receiving an HIV diagnosis.

This article describes a study in which data were analyzed from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to determine the extent to which adolescents are being tested for HIV. Results indicated that nationwide, 12.9 percent of all high school students had ever been tested for HIV. Testing increased with increasing grade level and decreased with increasing age at first sexual intercourse.

This report discusses the medical approach to treating people with acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (AHI), a highly infectious phase of the disease, in New York City. It explains that AHI contributes to HIV transmission, as it is associated with a high level of viremia, although antibody tests may be negative or indeterminate.

This report, based on a survey conducted in February 2010, highlights the legal environment for HIV testing, implementing HIV testing in health care settings, reimbursement, and barriers to HIV testing and evaluation.

This report discusses a study on HIV testing and diagnosis among adults in the United States, 2001-2009. CDC used 2001-2009 data from the National Health Interview Survey to calculate the percentage of persons aged 18-64 years who reported ever being tested for HIV in the United States. Also, data from the National HIV surveillance system were used to estimate numbers, percentages, and rates of HIV diagnoses; AIDS diagnoses; and late diagnoses of HIV infection for persons diagnosed with HIV infection during 2001-2008 and reported to CDC through June 2009.

This report summarizes results of an analysis of District of Columbia (DC) HIV case surveillance data, HIV testing data, and data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to describe recent trends in HIV disease and testing. The DC Department of Health used HIV case surveillance data for residents of DC reported through December 31, 2009 to determine the number and percentage of adolescents and adults aged>12 years newly diagnosed with AIDS 2004-2008, overall and by race/ethnicity and sex.

This report describes HIV testing by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) to assess HIV case identification, characterize HIV risk factors, and estimate the proportion of detainees who might not have been tested if testing had been delayed. Since 1991, RIDOC has offered testing routinely to every person admitted as part of the initial medical evaluation conducted within 24 hours of jail admission. Records of HIV testing of detainees during 2000-2007 were reviewed. About 102,229 tests were administered, and 169 detainees were diagnosed.

This report discusses community health centers (CHCs) in routine HIV testing consistent with the 2006 recommendations issued by CDC. It explains why it is important for CHCs to routinely offer HIV testing and provides general protocol elements for facility-based HIV testing, such as ensuring confidentiality, implementing alternatives to opt-out HIV testing, testing alternatives and procedures, encouraging patients to return if a confirmatory HIV test is performed, and providing test results to patients.

This report describes the results of CDC’s analysis of HIV testing conducted in 21 cities as part of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System (NHBS) to assess whether MSM were tested as recommended (at least annually) and whether more frequent testing was indicated. Results indicated that of 7,271 MSM interviewed and tested, who had not reported a previous positive HIV test, 61 percent had been tested during the past 12 months. Of these, seven percent had a new, positive HIV test result when tested as part of NHBS.