Impact of Rapid HIV Testing Rollout in an Adolescent Clinic

Abstract

Purpose: Many individuals who are HIV-positive become infected during adolescence and young adulthood. Because many youths lack knowledge of their HIV status, strategies to reduce HIV testing barriers are critical. We conducted a pilot project to evaluate the impact of offering rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in an urban hospital-based adolescent/young adult practice. We hypothesized that the availability of rapid testing (RT) would increase the number of youths tested; the proportion learning their HIV status; and might impact numbers who were first-time testers, males, and ethnic/racial minorities.