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CDC initiative increased new HIV diagnoses, reduced morbidity
Viall AH. MMWR. 2011;60(24):805-810.
Since the 2007 launch of the CDC’s Expanded HIV Testing Initiative, 2,786,739 tests have led to 18,432 new diagnoses, of which 75% were linked to follow-up care.
“Expanding opportunities for HIV testing, particularly in health care settings, can lead to reduced morbidity, mortality and transmission,” Abigail H. Viall, MA, and colleagues in the division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at the CDC, wrote in a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The Expanded HIV Testing Initiative funded the facilitation of HIV screening and linkage to care across 25 health departments, including populations disproportionately affected by HIV. The current study includes data on the initiative between October 2007 and September 2010.
Clinical settings accounted for 75% of testing venues and 81% of new HIV diagnoses. Compared with 84% of those who received their test results from nonclinical settings, 93% were received in the clinical setting. In addition, 78% of those tested in the clinical setting were linked to care vs. 63% of those tested in nonclinical settings.
Blacks accounted for 60% of 2,786,739 tests conducted and 70% of 18,432 new HIV diagnoses. Follow-up data on 16,885 patients with HIV indicated that 75.3% were successfully linked to follow-up care.
“To meet national goals for reducing the number of HIV infected persons who are unaware of their serostatus, health departments should continue to partner with clinical care providers to expand implementation of routine HIV screening in health care settings, especially in populations disproportionately affected by HIV,” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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