The uptake of HIV testing among patients with chlamydial or gonococcal infections attending a genitourinary medicine clinic

Abstract

Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be markers of high-risk sexual activity. Counselling for these infections provides an opportunity for promoting HIV testing.

The aim of the present study was to compare the uptake of HIV testing between patients with gonorrhoea or chlamydial infections and those without a bacterial STI. A study on patients screened for chlamydial or gonococcal infections in the Department of Genitourinary (GU) Medicine, Edinburgh between 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2003. The overall uptake of HIV testing among patients screened for chlamydial and gonococcal infections was 2263 (37%) of 6184 and 2012 (44%) of 4583, respectively (P < 0.0002). Uptake of HIV testing was significantly higher among uninfected patients: for chlamydial infection, 17% of 1857 infected patients versus 45% of 4327 uninfected patients (P < 0.0002); and for gonococcal infection, 24% of 256 infected patients versus 45% of 4327 uninfected patients (P < 0.0002).

The policy of pre-test counselling needs to be redesigned in order to improve the uptake of HIV testing among patients with high-risk sexual activity.