Health Services Utilization
HIV Testing
Today, people aware of their human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) status may be able to live longer and healthier lives
because of newly available, effective treatments. Testing for HIV,
the virus that causes AIDS, is essential so that infected individuals
can seek appropriate care. HIV testing requires only a simple blood
or saliva test, and it is often offered through confidential or
anonymous sources. It is recommended that people who meet any of
the following criteria be tested for HIV: have injected drugs or
steroids, or shared equipment (such as needles) with others; have
had unprotected sex with men who have sex with men, anonymous partners,
or multiple partners; have exchanged sex for drugs or money; have
been diagnosed with hepatitis, tuberculosis, or a sexually transmitted
infection; received a blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985; or
have had unprotected sex with anyone who meets any of the previous
criteria.1
In 2004, almost 35 percent of adults in the United
States had ever been tested for HIV. Overall, women were more likely
than men to have been tested (37.3 versus 31.7 percent). Women were
more likely to have been tested at younger ages, while men were
more likely to have been tested at older ages. Among women, non-Hispanic
Blacks had the highest testing rate (52.4 percent), followed by
Hispanic women (45.4 percent). Asian women had the lowest testing
rates (33.3 percent).
>
VERTICAL CHART: Adults Aged 18 and Older Who Have Ever
Been Tested for HIV, by Sex and Age, 2004
>
VERTICAL CHART: Women Aged 18 and Older Who Have Ever Been
Tested for HIV, by Race/Ethnicity, 2004
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National HIV Testing Resources. Frequently asked questions about
HIV and HIV testing. http://www.hivtest.org/
|