HIV TESTING: The Inner-City Hospital Model

Uptown v. Downtown

Prevention

HIV Testing

        The most important step that New York City needs to take in the effort to get control of the HIV/AIDS crisis is increased and timely testing for HIV. A 2000 study in Oslo, Norway showed that following a positive HIV diagnosis condom use increases among all exposure groups, in addition those in either the heterosexual group or the group diagnosed after 1987 were especially likely to use condoms following a HIV+ diagnosis.[i] To get the most out of HIV testing New York needs to focus on offering routine HIV testing.

            As the HIV/AIDS crisis spreads to the uptown group – poor, black and Hispanic males and females, the city is faced with the issue that many of these people do not have healthcare, or even routine medical service. These people depend on the emergency room for healthcare, thus New York City should look to hospitals for routine HIV testing. A 15 month 2002 study in a Boston teaching hospital shows the full potential of voluntary HIV testing and counseling to all patients admitted.[ii] The Think HIV program offered HIV testing and counseling to all admitted patients and found that these patients were 3.4 times more likely to be tested.[iii] The study found a HIV prevalence rate of 3.8% among patients who otherwise would not have undergone testing.[iv] While implementing programs like this in hospitals across New York City would be expensive and resource intensive in the long run it would be more then cost effective. These programs would identify those that were HIV positive, allowing for treatment connection, as well as slowing and maybe eventually preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS as people are aware of their condition.