HIV-related risk and antibody testing: an urban community survey

The present study investigated patterns of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody testing in a diverse urban sample. Five hundred seventy-nine men and women (representing 88% cooperation and 67% response rates) were surveyed in Chicago's downtown at mass transit waiting areas. Participants completed measures of demographic information, sexual and HIV-risk behavior histories, information regarding HIV antibody testing status, and HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and perceptions. Results showed that only 36% of persons with histories of high-risk practices had been tested for HIV. Persons who had been tested, as compared to those not tested, were older in age and perceived themselves to be at greater risk. Results also showed a relationship between participants' knowledge of their own HIV serostatus and inquiring about their sexual partners' serostatus. As compared to persons not tested, those who had been tested were more likely to know their most recent sexual partner's HIV testing status. Results suggest that several factors found among gay men with regard to HIV testing may generalize to populations representing diverse HIV-related risk behavior patterns.