Where MSM have their first HIV test: differences by race, income, and sexual identity

To inform initiatives to increase HIV testing in nontraditional locations, this study examined locations where men who have sex with men (MSM) get their first HIV test and identified population segments with different test location patterns. Interviews were conducted with 451 MSM systematically recruited from 65 venues in Philadelphia. Of 408 men ever tested for HIV, 29% took their first test in a clinic or hospital, 23% in a doctor's office, 30% at an HIV organization, and 19% in a high-risk setting, including prison, shelter, or drug treatment facility. More than half (58.5%) had their most recent test in the same type of location as their first test. Men tested at HIV organizations were the most likely to receive information about HIV prevention. Low-income Black MSM were less likely to be tested at medical settings or HIV organizations. Segmentation analysis revealed other differences in testing locations by income, race/ethnicity, and sexual identity.