Assessment of the Utilization of a State AIDS/STD Hotline by Persons With and Without HIV Infection and Their Information Needs

Abstract

A large number of AIDS/sexually transmitted disease (STD) helplines provide support to people seeking information how to avoid infection with HIV or how to deal with the infection if they have already contracted it. Nevertheless, limited knowledge is available about how such helplines are being utilized by different segments of the population and what the main concerns of the people calling the helplines are. The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of the State AIDS/STD Hotline in New Jersey and describe the information needs of its callers. Callers were categorized as either having HIV or being free of the virus based on their self-reported HIV status. A cross-sectional design was then used combining caller information from the New Jersey AIDS/STD Hotline with data from the state health department on the number of people living with HIV in each county in New Jersey. The utilization rate of the New Jersey AIDS/STD Hotline was significantly higher among persons with HIV infection compared to the utilization rate among persons who were either free of the virus or unaware of their HIV status. The callers infected with HIV differed significantly from the rest of the callers in terms of the type of information they requested. While callers who had the infection were most likely to ask about treatment options, financial assistance, and support groups, the rest of the callers were more likely to inquire about testing site location and prevention information.