HIV testing practices among women living in public housing in Puerto Rico.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to examine HIV testing practices among a large sample of women living in public housing in Puerto Rico and the relationships among HIV testing, sociodemographic variables, and HIV-related behaviors.

METHODS

A total of 1138 women were surveyed between April and August 2006 using a self-administered survey instrument.

RESULTS

Eighty-two percent of the women in the sample group reported a history of HIV testing. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses revealed that those adults who were at least 25 years of age and those who perceived some risk of HIV were more likely to report previous HIV testing. Also, those who had attended an HIV/AIDS education workshop or discussion and those who reported knowing persons living with HIV/AIDS were more likely to report previous testing.

CONCLUSIONS

A large percentage of the women in our study have been tested for HIV; it is imperative, however, that appropriate HIV education and prevention messages be given to them when they receive their results. Client-initiated HIV testing to learn HIV status provided through counseling and testing remains critical to the effectiveness of HIV prevention. It is unwise to underestimate the importance of being tested. One of the first steps in self-protection from HIV is to be informed of one's HIV status, which allows one to make appropriate and responsible sexual decisions. Future success in decreasing the number of new infections among women will result from targeting women who may be at high risk, although not because of sex work or drug use. Increasing knowledge of HIV serostatus and the implications of these results, especially among those who are infected, can serve as a gateway to sustained behavioral risk reduction intervention, as well as to care and treatment. Considering the fact that both the actual and estimated numbers of HIV/AIDS cases among women in Puerto Rico continue to increase, it is clear that effective, targeted, and aggressive strategies are urgently needed to prevent both primary and secondary HIV transmission.