Uptake of HIV testing in a busy South London GU medicine clinic – will we reach targets set in the National Strategy and are we testing those at risk?

Abstract

We audited the practice of offering, and the uptake of, an HIV antibody test in new genitourinary medicine clinic attenders. We aimed to determine if we have reached targets set in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV for 2006. We also aimed to determine whether patients at higher risk of acquiring HIV infection reached these targets. We found that nearly all patients were offered an HIV test (94.7%) and uptake was 60.5%, demonstrating that we have already reached our target. However, in this audit, the 60% uptake targets were not met by patients at increased risk of HIV, with 52.9% uptake in men who have sex with men and 50% uptake in Black Africans.