Barriers to HIV testing among HIV/AIDS concurrently diagnosed persons in New York City

To assess barriers to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, health care contacts history, and HIV testing history among patients diagnosed concurrently with HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

We surveyed patients concurrently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS who had participated in the partner notification program of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, between January 2008 and December 2008.

The most common reason interviewees volunteered for delaying testing (64%) was that they did not believe they were at risk for HIV. When read a list of potential barriers, 69% of interviewees replied affirmatively that they did not test for HIV because they did not believe they were at risk, and 52% replied affirmatively that they did not test because they thought their behaviors kept them safe from getting HIV. Half of all interviewees reported having insurance during part or all of the year before they were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, and 70% had at least 1 health care visit in the year before they were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

A lack of perception of risk was the most common reason for not testing for HIV sooner among these concurrently diagnosed patients. The majority of these patients were accessing medical care, indicating that this population could have benefited from routine HIV testing.