In the Routine HIV Testing Era, Primary Care Physicians in Community Health Centers Remain Unaware of HIV Testing Recommendations

Abstract

Despite the 2006 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for routine HIV testing in health care settings, many persons remain untested. To determine physician barriers to HIV testing, we surveyed primary care physicians in community health centers in a high HIV prevalence city. Primary care physicians were invited via e-mail to participate in a Web-based survey. One hundred and thirty-seven physicians participated (response rate: 43.9%). Fifty-five physicians (41.0%) were unaware of updated CDC HIV testing recommendations. Physicians were unaware that testing should be routinely offered in primary care settings caring for adolescents (62 physicians, 45.6%) and primary care settings caring for adults (33, 24.3%). Physicians were also unaware that teenage years patients aged 13 to 17 years (68, 49.6%) and adult patients aged 18 to 64 years (40, 29.2%) should be routinely HIV tested. With the new 2013 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations to support routine HIV testing, it is critical to address ongoing physician HIV testing barriers to mitigate the HIV epidemic.