Abstract

The need for HIV testing in US emergency departments (EDs) has not been assessed, particularly among Latino immigrants and Blacks. We surveyed Latino immigrant and Black 18 to 64-year-old patients at 4 EDs about demographic characteristics, HIV testing history, and health literacy. A subset of patients was further surveyed on HIV risk-taking behaviors. Of the 2,265 participants, 24% had never been tested for HIV. Latino immigrants were more likely than Blacks never to have been tested for HIV (28% vs. 16%). In multivariable logistic regression, for Latino immigrants, male gender and lower health literacy were associated with no previous HIV testing. Among the 1,141-participant subset providing HIV risk-taking behavior data, 23% reported at least one risk factor and of those with at least one risk factor, 23% had never been tested for HIV. There remains a need for HIV testing among adult Latino immigrant and Black patients in US EDs.

Full Text
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