Purpose: Routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening reduces HIV progression and transmission. Our aims were to determine prevalence and factors associated with prior HIV screening among a cohort of youth living with HIV.
Methods: Retrospective chart review of youth living with HIV aged 14-26 at an HIV clinic comparing characteristics between those with and without HIV screening within the year prior to diagnosis RESULTS: Subjects (n = 301) were male (85%), African-American (87%), and men who have sex with men (84%). Subjects seen 1 year prior to diagnosis (n = 58) contributed 179 visits for missed opportunities with 59% having a documented sexual history in the electronic health record and 48% tested for HIV. Subjects with symptoms suggesting acute HIV infection (51%) were more likely to be tested (p = .04). In the adjusted model, documentation of sexual history and demographic factors was not associated with prior testing.
Conclusion: We identified high rates of missed opportunities for HIV testing and sexual history documentation in the year prior to diagnosis, underscoring the need for routine HIV screening in adolescents.
Keywords: HIV; HIV testing; Missed opportunities; Primary care.
Copyright © 2018 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.