HIV test: which is your best? A National survey on testing preferences among MSM in Italy

HIV testing opportunities in Italy are frequently limited to the hospital setting. Experiences in other countries show that offering HIV testing in other facilities could improve HIV testing uptake.

An internet-based survey was conducted between March 10 and April 3, 2014.

A total number of 348 questionnaires were collected. Responders were 88% male. Most represented age groups were 25-34 (35%) and 35-44 (25%). Most of the responders identify themselves as homosexual (81%) or bisexual (9%). Half of responders had an HIV test within 2 years (56%) while 18% never tested for HIV. Among all responders, 61% had more than 2 sexual partners in the past year. Reported condom use in the past year was: always 39%, always but once 11%, sometimes 27%, never 14%. Most known places to have an HIV test is the hospital (95%), STI clinic (58%) and chemical analysis laboratory (54%); most used places are hospital (73%), STI clinic (30%), laboratory (22%) while 5 responders reported having had a self-test at home. Preferred places where to have an HIV test is self-testing at home (53%), hospital (36%), pharmacy (32%) and headquarter of an organization (31%). Most known testing method is draw blood from vein (97%), which is also most used (80%) but the least preferred (31%) while saliva (65%) and finger prick (56%) are the preferred choices. Most responders know that physicians (84%) and nurses (77%) are those who perform HIV tests and most of them had an HIV test with them (60% and 65% respectively). Physicians are the preferred operators (54%) followed by self-testing (46%), nurses (46%) and peer-volunteers (39%). The ideal HIV test should be: reliable (86%), with no medical prescription (75%), free (63%), rapid (55%), with no personal information collected (45%), with the opportunity to speak with a peer-counsellor (36%).

Changing HIV testing policies in Italy is urgently needed in order to grant a better access to the service: waiting for the results and bureaucratic obligations represent the major barriers to be removed. Home-testing and community-based testing seem to be among the best ways to offer new opportunities though they may require a change in the legal, social and cultural context to be implemented and home testing will not allow any kind of support for newly diagnosed people.