JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization guidelines, all individuals from 13 to 64 years of age should get screened for HIV infection as part of their routine medical examinations. Individuals at high risk should get tested annually.

Objective:

This study aimed to identify sociodemographic, healthcare, and sexual behavior characteristics of provider-initiated HIV testing using data from the Puerto Rico National HIV Behavioral Surveillance 2016 cycle, directed towards heterosexuals at increased risk of HIV infection.

Methods:

A total sample of 358 eligible participants were recruited through respondent-driven sampling, where sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare utilization, and HIV test referral were used to assess a description of the study sample. Person’s chi-square and Fisher’s tests were used to evaluating proportional differences. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to determine the association between independent variables and HIV testing referral with adjusted prevalence ratios by sex and age (PRa), 95% confidence intervals, and a statistical significance level established at .05.

Results:

Despite 67.9% (243/358) showed high-risk sexual behavioral practices and 67.4% (236/350) reported a low perceived risk of HIV infection among those who visited a healthcare provider within the last 12 months, 80.7% (289/358) of the study sample did not receive an HIV test referral at a recent medical visit. Multivariate analysis showed that the estimated prevalence of the participants who received an HIV test referral among those who reported being engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors was 41% (PRa: .59; 95% CI: .39-.91), lower than the estimated prevalence among those who did not engage in high-risk sexual behavior.

Conclusions:

This sample of Puerto Rican adults reported a significantly lower prevalence of receiving an HIV test referral among HET engaged in high-risk behaviors. This study further emphasizes the need for healthcare providers to follow recommended guidelines for HIV-test referrals in healthcare settings. Promotion practices in the future should include enhancing referral and access to HIV tests and implementing preventive measures to counteract the HIV epidemic in Puerto Rico.