STI Diagnosis and HIV Testing Among OEF/OIF/OND Veterans

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9102356
AutoresJoseph L Goulet (0000-0002-0842-804X, Yale University, autor de correspondencia), Richard A Martinello (0000-0002-0355-9200, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health), Harini Bathulapalli (0000-0002-2531-0238, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, autor de correspondencia), David M Higgins (0000-0002-6885-266X, Yale University, autor de correspondencia), Diana Higgins, Mary A Driscoll (0000-0001-7807-6118, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, autor de correspondencia), Cynthia A Brandt, Cynthia Brandt (0000-0001-8179-1796, Yale University, autor de correspondencia), Julie A Womack (0000-0002-1003-0276, Yale University)
Año2014
Volumen52
Número12
Páginas1064-1067
Fecha de publicación2014-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaMedical Care (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948
EditorialOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/mlr.0000000000000253
PMID25334054
PMCIDPMC4232995
OpenAlexW2333712101
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas17

IMPORTANCE: Patients with sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis should be tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), regardless of previous HIV test results. OBJECTIVE: Estimate HIV testing rates among recent service Veterans with an STI diagnosis and variation in testing rates by patient characteristics. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The sample comprised 243,843 Veterans who initiated Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services within 1 year after military separation. Participants were followed for 2 years to determine STI diagnoses and HIV testing rates. We used relative risks regression to examine variation in testing rates. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: We used VHA administrative data to identify STI diagnoses and HIV testing and results. RESULTS: Veterans with an STI diagnosis (n = 1815) had higher HIV testing rates than those without (34.9% vs. 7.3%, P<0.0001), but were not more likely to have a positive test result (1.1% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.53). Among Veterans with an STI diagnosis, testing increased from 25% to 45% over the observation period; older age was associated with a lower rate of testing, whereas race and ethnicity, multiple deployments, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse disorders were associated with a higher rate. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Since VHA implemented routine HIV testing, overall rates of testing have increased. However, among Veterans at significant risk for HIV because of an STI diagnosis, only 45% had an HIV test in the most recent year of observation. Other patient characteristics such as alcohol and drug abuse were associated with being tested for HIV. Providers should be reminded that an STI is a sufficient reason to test for HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) · Medical diagnosis · Pathology · Psychiatry · Substance abuse · HIV Research and Treatment · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Immunology · Medicine · Reproductive tract infections research