RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 HIV testing uptake and risk behaviours in Spain
JF Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
JO J Epidemiol Community Health
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP jech.2008.076240
DO 10.1136/jech.2008.076240
A1 Luis de la Fuente
A1 Monica Suarez
A1 Maria Jose Belza
A1 Fernando Vallejo
A1 Margarita Garcia
A1 Raquel Alvarez
A1 Jesus Castilla
A1 Anna Rodes
A1 The health and sexual behaviour survey group .
YR 2009
UL http://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2009/03/13/jech.2008.076240.abstract
AB Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of HIV testing in the general population; to analyse factors related to voluntary testing; and to describe the main reasons for testing, the kinds of health services where testing takes place, and the relations between self-risk perception and HIV testing. Design and methods: Probability sample survey of health and sexual behaviour in men and women aged 18-49 years and resident in Spain in 2003 (n=10980). A combination of computer-assisted face-to-face and self-interview was used, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Some 39.4% (40.2% in men and 38.5%in women) had ever been tested, blood donation being the main reason for men and pregnancy for women. In the multivariate analysis HIV testing was associated with foreign nationality, high educational level, having injected drugs, and large number of sexual partners. In men, it was also associated with age 30-39 years, having had sex with other men, and having paid for sex. About 29.3% of men and 32.8% of women had their last voluntary HIV test in primary health care centres, while only 3.4% of men and 3.6 of women had last been tested in STI/HIV diagnostic centres. About 20.2% of men and 5.5% of women with risk behaviours had never been tested. Conclusions: The proportion of men with risk behaviours who have never had an HIV test is unacceptably high in Spain. Scaling up access to HIV testing in this population group remains a challenge for health policies and research.