Use your browser's BACK button to return to your page of origin.
Peer referral for HIV case-finding among men who have sex with men.
AIDS 2006; 20(15):1961-1968.
Golden MR, Gift TL, Brewer DD, Fleming M, Hogben M, St. Lawrence JS,
Thiede H, Handsfield HH.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a health
department-based peer referral program for identifying previously undiagnosed
cases of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM). DESIGN AND METHODS: Between
2002 and 2005, 283 MSM peer recruiters were enrolled in a public health program
in King County, Washington, USA. Peer recruiters were enrolled from a sexually
transmitted disease (STD) clinic, an HIV clinic, via media advertisements
and through collaboration with community-based organizations (CBO). The peer
recruiters underwent a brief training and were then paid US$ 20 for each
peer they referred to be tested for HIV, STD and viral hepatitis. Peers were
paid US$ 20 for being tested. The main outcome measure was the number of
new cases of HIV identified and cost per case of HIV identified. RESULTS:
Recruiters referred 498 peers for HIV, STD and hepatitis testing. Among 438
peers not previously diagnosed with HIV, 22 (5%) were HIV positive, of whom
18 received their HIV test results. Other infections were variably prevalent
among tested peers: gonorrhea [23/307 (8%)], chlamydia [6/285 (2%)], syphilis
[1/445 (0.2%)], hepatitis C [61/198 (31%)], surface antigen positive hepatitis
B [8/314 (3%)]. Excluding the costs of testing for viral hepatitis and STDs
other than HIV, the cost per new HIV case identified was US$ 4929. During
the same period, the cost per new case of HIV detected through bathhouse-based
HIV testing and through the county's largest CBO-based HIV testing program
were US$ 8250 and US$ 11 481, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Peer referral is
an effective means of identifying new cases of HIV among MSM.