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Abstract
HIV outreach in an African American community: rapid testing versus non-rapid oral mucosal testing
P A Keenan, J M Keenan
Univ. of Minnesota Department of Family Practice and Community Health, Minneapolis, United States
Background: African Americans have the highest rate of HIV/AIDS of any ethnic group in the USA.They also have the highest rate of failure to return for HIV test results. HIV testing in this population should strive for improved accessibility and high rates of posttest counseling.
Methods: We did HIV counseling and testing at chemical dependency programs, homeless shelters, and other sites in the predominantly African American community of North Minneapolis. Initially, single use diagnostic system (SUDS), a rapid HIV test, was used. When SUDS went out of production, we switched to OraSure, a non-rapid oral mucosal transudate (OMT) test. Clients learned results within 1 to 2 hours with SUDS. With OraSure, results were available in one week. Data was compared from 15 months of testing with SUDS to 12 months testing with OraSure. During this time we tested at the same sites with the same outreach worker.
Results: Over the project period, 752 persons were tested with SUDS and 927 with OraSure. Race, gender, age, risk factors, and rates of seropositivity were similar for both groups. Percentage of clients learning their test result decreased from 99.9% with SUDS to 82.2% with OraSure. Clients tested per month increased from 50 with SUDS to 77 with OraSure. Cost per test decreased from $66.47 with SUDS to $39.03 with OraSure. The cost per person actually learning their test result decreased from $66.56 with SUDS to $47.48 with OraSure.
Conclusion: This study confirmed that rapid HIV testing enabled an extremely high percentage of outreach clients to learn their test results. In comparison, the technical convenience and higher client acceptance of OraSure testing led to more persons being tested per month. Since the main expense was personnel salary, OraSure's higher volume led to a lower cost per test and a lower cost per person learning their test result. This study demonstrates the need for a rapid OMT test in the USA.
The XIV International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
TuPeD4982
Suggested Citation
" P A Keenan, et al.
HIV outreach in an African American community: rapid testing versus non-rapid oral mucosal testing.
Poster Exhibition:
The XIV International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
TuPeD4982"
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