Acceptance of HIV Testing by Substance‐Abusing Individuals

Abstract

Routine HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) testing of high‐risk groups (i.e., substance‐abusing individuals) could help decrease the spread of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Such a policy, however, could deter individuals from entering treatment, paradoxically increasing the likelihood of the disease being spread. The authors examined the willingness of substance‐abusing individuals to consent to HIV testing by randomly assigning patients entering either a drug‐free outpatient program or a methadone maintenance program to one of three informed consent conditions differing in degree of perceived coerciveness. Overall, 69% of the patients agreed to testing. As hypothesized, the proportion of agreement was highest under the most coercive informed consent condition. Although the results tend to support continuation of voluntary testing programs, only 5.5% of patients asked indicated that mandatory testing would have deterred them from entering treatment.