The findings and conclusions in these presentations have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
P106

Preference for HIV Testing Methods and Factors Associated with Choice of an HIV Test Among Urban Adolescents

Tanya Kowalczyk Mullins, Paula K. Braverman, Lorah D. Dorn, Linda M. Kollar, and Jessica A. Kahn. Division of Adolescent Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 4000, Cincinnati, OH, USA


Background:
Improved identification of HIV positive youth requires increased testing rates, but little is known about adolescent preferences for HIV test methods or factors influencing choice of a specific method.

Objective:
To determine preference for particular HIV testing methods and factors associated with selection of an HIV test.

Method:
Sexually active adolescents (N=200) age 13-22 years recruited from an urban hospital-based primary care clinic completed a theory-driven 99-item survey, assessing preferences for aspects of HIV tests (e.g. time to receive results and method of sample collection), benefits, and barriers to testing. Testing was offered; those who agreed received standardized counseling regarding 3 available methods (venipuncture ELISA, rapid fingerstick, or rapid oral fluid) and selected the test they received. Using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U analyses, we examined associations between choice of testing method and preferences for specific test characteristics, benefits, and barriers to testing.

Result:
Most participants were female (82%) and African-American (87%). Mean age was 17.4 years. Forty percent reported prior HIV testing, and 50% tested at the study visit: 51% chose rapid oral testing, 30% venipuncture ELISA, and 19% rapid fingerstick. Compared to those who chose traditional testing, those who chose rapid testing reported that the following test characteristics were of greater importance: oral sampling instead of venipuncture (p=0.005) and ability to receive same-visit results (p=0.002). Benefits were not associated with choice of test method. One barrier, not testing “because needles hurt”, was rated significantly higher by those who chose rapid testing vs. traditional testing (p=0.038).

Conclusion:
Adolescents preferred rapid oral testing to other methods. Our findings suggest that this preference may be driven by the desire to avoid venipuncture and obtain same-visit results.

Implications:
Improved understanding of adolescent preferences may lead to offering HIV testing methods that are more acceptable to this age group, thus increasing testing rates.