Differences between anonymous and confidential registrants for HIV testing--Seattle, 1986-1992

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling and testing is a major component of the public health effort to contain the HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. However, persons may avoid HIV testing in part because they fear discrimination and legal sanctions if their drug use, sexual behavior, or test results became public (1,2). Anonymous testing has been offered to address these fears, but it is not clear whether anonymous testing, compared with confidential testing, actually results in testing more persons at risk for or infected with HIV. This report, using registration data from a freestanding HIV-testing clinic in Seattle, compares demographic, behavioral, and serologic characteristics of anonymous and confidential registrants during 1986-1992.