Abstract
In recent years the reported numbers of newly registered HIV-infected carriers and AIDS patients have been slowly increasing (HIV AIDS trend survey) . HIV infection is now considered to be incurable and to be a sexually transmitted chronic infection. This study identifies the characteristics of a “too soon” tested group in relation to the “appropriate” interval between the occasion when infection may have occurred and HIV testing (=“worry test interval”) . The study design is an analysis of HIV-VCT center surveillance data in Tokyo, 2000-2002, by logistic regression analysis. The data are Responses of questionnaires from visitors whose serum-status results were out negative in the VCT center. The group in which the worry test interval was “90 days to less than 1 year” was defined as the appropriate group, and the “less than 90 day” group (=S group) were subjected to the logistic regression analysis. The total number of respondents was 21, 406 (appropriate group 63.5%, S group 18.3%) . The results of the analysis showed that the S group was characterized by “teens”and “homosexual activity, ” and the risk of too early testing was found to increase with “higher cumulative number of testings” and “lower frequency of condom use”. For the “too soon” tested group, it is essential that adequate opportunities for counseling be provided before and after the test is performed and upon disclosure of the test results, in order to erase or alleviate worries about having contracted the infection. We might assume various behavior patterns for HIV testing and counseling.
