Offering of HIV screening to men who have sex with men by their health care providers and associated factors

Abstract

Objective: In 2006, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended offering HIV testing at least annually to men who have sex with men (MSM), but few studies describe the extent to which routine offering occurred after 2006. Methods: Data were collected from March to April 2009 using an online survey of US MSM aged ≥18 years. Multivariable logistic regression estimated the odds of being offered HIV testing for demographic factors and for having disclosed male-male sex behavior to the health care provider. Results: Of 4620 MSM reporting visiting a health care provider in the past year, 1385 (30%) were offered HIV testing. Being offered testing was associated with disclosing male-male sex to the provider (decreasing odds by age from age 20: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 19.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.79-23.41) and other demographic factors. Conclusions: Less than one third of the MSM visiting a provider reported being offered HIV testing. Providers should actively assess male-male sex risk to potentially improve offering of HIV screenings. © The Author(s) 2010.