HIV testing among populations at risk for HIV infection--nine states, November 1995-December 1996

Extending acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) case surveillance systems to include confidential (name-based) reporting of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections provides data representing recent HIV transmission patterns. These data may improve the ability of public health agencies to plan and evaluate HIV prevention and treatment services. Thirty-two states conduct name-based HIV infection case surveillance as an extension of AIDS case surveillance, and such surveillance is being considered in other states. Some community representatives and public health officials, however, are concerned that HIV infection surveillance may deter some at-risk persons from seeking HIV testing. This report describes the results of a survey conducted to assess deterrents to HIV testing in populations at risk for HIV infection during 1995 and 1996. The findings indicate that in these populations knowledge of state HIV reporting policies was low, and fear of a positive HIV test result and a lack of perceived risk for HIV infection were the most common deterrents to testing in all risk groups. However, untested men who have sex with men (MSM) who resided in states with name-based reporting cited concerns about reporting as a reason they had not tested more often than untested MSM in states without name-based reporting.