HIV testing and retesting for men and women in Switzerland

This study was conducted to describe voluntary HIV testing in the general population in Switzerland and to estimate yearly HIV test incidence. In 1994, a representative telephone survey of individuals aged 17 to 45 years obtained self-reported information on HIV testing. In addition to describing cumulative HIV test incidence, yearly HIV test incidence over time was estimated by a Bayesian hurdle model allowing for the plausible scenario of test consumption differing between first test and subsequent retests. Overall, 33% of the Swiss population (age 17 to 45 years) has been tested at some time for HIV on a voluntary basis (30% men, 36% women). For the time period 1990-1994, the result showed for 35-year-old individuals with supposedly low risk behavior, that 1) annual test incidence (first test or retest) showed a greater increase for men (4.2 to 5.9%) than for women (5.0 to 6.0%); 2) annual first test incidence increased moderately and differed for men and women (2.9 to 3.4% for men, 4.6 to 5.2% for women), and 3) annual retest incidence was twice as high for men (17.6%) as for women (8.6%). In conclusion, a substantial part of the Swiss population has been tested at some stage for HIV on a voluntary basis, and differences exist for testing and retesting between men and women.