Missed opportunities for HIV testing in people diagnosed with HIV, Estonia, 2014 to 2015

Studies of missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis of HIV have shown that patients with undiagnosed HIV often present to healthcare settings numerous times before eventually receiving their diagnosis.

The aim of the study was to assess missed opportunities for HIV testing among people newly diagnosed with HIV.

In this observational retrospective study, we collected data from the Estonian Health Board on new HIV cases in people aged 16–49 years diagnosed in 2014–15 and from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund database for treatment invoices on their contacts with healthcare services in the 2 years preceding diagnosis. Diagnoses on treatment invoices were categorised as HIV indicator conditions using ICD-10 codes.

Of 538 newly diagnosed HIV cases (62.5%; 336 men), 82% had visited healthcare services at least once during the 2 years before HIV diagnosis; the mean number of visits was 9.1. Of these, 16% had been tested for HIV and 31% had at least one ICD-10 code for an HIV indicator condition on at least one of their treatment invoices. In 390 cases of HIV indicator conditions, only 5% were tested for HIV. Of all new HIV cases aged 20–49 years from high-incidence regions (defined as priority groups in national testing guidance), 18% had been tested.

The HIV testing rate in the 2 years before an HIV diagnosis was very low, even in the presence of an HIV indicator condition. This emphasises the importance of implementing the Estonian HIV testing guidelines.