Correlates of Undiagnosed HIV Infection and Retesting Among Voluntary HIV Testing Clients at Mildmay Clinic, Uganda

AIDS Behav. 2019 Apr;23(4):820-834. doi: 10.1007/s10461-018-2274-3.

Abstract

Increasing HIV diagnosis is important for combatting HIV. We invited individuals aged ≥ 13 years seeking voluntary HIV testing at Mildmay Clinic in Uganda to undertake a computer or audio-computer-assisted self-interview to facilitate post-test counseling. We evaluated first-visit data from 12,233 consenting individuals between January 2011 and October 2013. HIV prevalence was 39.0%. Of those with HIV, 37.2% already knew they were infected. Undiagnosed infection was associated with not being single, screening positive for depression (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.28), and screening for harmful drinking behavior (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10-1.39). The odds of retesting subsequent to HIV diagnosis were lower for males (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.70-0.92) and those screening positive for harmful drinking behavior (aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66-0.88). Retesting was also associated with higher education and perceived social status below 'better off'. Our findings reiterate the value of population-based HIV surveys to provide estimates of testing coverage.

Keywords: HIV retesting; HIV testing; Self-interview; Uganda; Undiagnosed HIV.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Ambulatory Care Facilities
  • Counseling
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / diagnosis*
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data*
  • Prevalence
  • Serologic Tests
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Uganda / epidemiology