AEGiS-06IAC: Decisionmaking about HIV antibody testing among gay and bisexual men and the general population in Los Angeles.

6th International AIDS Conference


San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

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Decisionmaking about HIV antibody testing among gay and bisexual men and the general population in Los Angeles.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:334 (abstract no. Th.D.835)
Gorman EM, Yano E, Kanouse D, Berry S, Bye L; RAND Corp., Santa Monica, CA, USA

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain attitudes and decisionmaking about HIV antibody testing among gay and bisexual men and the general population.

METHODS: Bivariate analysis to obtain results of a telephone survey of 1299 randomly selected adults (520 males, 779 females) and 299 gay and bisexual male adults residing in Los Angeles County during October-December, 1989.

RESULTS: Among gay/bisexual men, 200 (66%) had taken an HIV antibody test, as compared to 292 (22.5%) of the general population. In the GP, 5 (1.7%) were HIV+; among gay and bisexual men, 33 (16.5%) positive. Of GB men, 31% (193) indicated they would be tested within the next 6 months, as compared to 14.7% (191) of the GP. Among GB men who had NOT taken the antibody test, barriers to testing included: belief that they could not handle knowledge of a positive test (32%), belief that there was no effective treatment (29%), belief that there was no care (29%), fear that others would find out test results (17%), not knowing where to be tested (10%), and distant location of testing center (9%). Of GB men, 85% felt that other GB men should be encouraged to take the test; 86% of the GP believed this. 64% of the GP and 77% of the GB men believed AIDS to be an issue of major concern.

CONCLUSIONS: Survey results indicate high levels of concern about the HIV epidemic. Although strong support for voluntary testing exists, a third of GB men have not yet been tested. Reasons for so doing indicate continuing concern about personal consequences of testing.

Keywords: AEGIS, Bisexuality, Homosexuality, Male, HIV Antibodies, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV, Decision Making, HIV Infections, Culture, Los Angeles, Human, Male, Female, Adult, ICA6KWDaegis,bisexuality,homosexuality,male,hivantibodies,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hiv,decisionmaking,hivinfections,culture,losangeles,human,male,female,adult,ica6

900620
ThD835

Copyright © 1990 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.