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Published on: October 31, 2010
Targeted rapid HIV testing in public primary care services in Madrid. Are we reaching the vulnerable populations?
María D Esteban-Vasallo1, Mónica Morán-Arribas1, Carmen García-Riolobos1
1Subdirectorate for Health Promotion and Prevention, Madrid Regional Health Authority, C/San Martín de Porres, 6, 28035, Madrid, Spain.
Objectives:
To describe the population targeted for the rapid HIV testing program delivered via socio-culturally adapted services in primary care centers and to assess factors associated with uptake of first-time testing.
Methods:
This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. We analyzed consultations between April 29, 2010 and May 31, 2012. We assessed the differences in age, origin, education, and sexual history between men who have sex with men (MSM), heterosexual men (HM), and women, using a two-sided independent t-test and Chi-square statistics. Factors associated with first-time testing were analyzed by logistic regression.
Results:
Of 1940 consultations, 45.1% were HM, 25.4% MSM, and 29.5% women; 35.4% were immigrants, 2.5% were or had been sex workers, and 15.4% had visited one. The test was reactive in 2.1%. Up to 44.2% had never been tested. The probability of being tested for the first time increased in HM, women, populations from the Indian Subcontinent, those with no casual sexual partners, those whose partner's serostatus was unknown, and those with no history of other sexually transmitted infections.
Conclusions:
This program managed to reach a high proportion of vulnerable people. First time HIV testing rates were high.
