Correlates of HIV testing and receipt of test results in addiction health services in Los Angeles County

Jemima A. Frimpong, Erick G. Guerrero, Yinfei Kong, Gary Tsai

HIV testing and receipt of HIV test results among individuals with substance use disorders is less than optimal. We examined rates and correlates of HIV testing and receipt of test results in one of the largest public addiction health services systems in the United States. The study included 139,516 adult clients in treatment between 2006 and 2011. We used logistic regression models to examine associations between predisposing, enabling, and need factors and two dependent variables, HIV testing rates and receipt of test results. Associations were considered statistically significance at p < .01. We found that 64 % of clients reported being tested for HIV, of whom 85 % reported receiving their test results. Likelihood of being tested was positively associated with being female, a minority, homeless, employed, having prior treatment episodes, comorbidities, injection drug use, or a history of mental illness. It was negatively associated with alcohol or marijuana as primary drug. Receipt of test results was more likely among clients on medication (methadone or buprenorphine) or whose method of drug use was smoking, inhalation, or injecting; it was less likely among older clients and those with more outpatient psychiatric visits. Findings from this study may inform strategies and targeting of population groups to improve HIV testing practices and ultimately increase awareness of infection status among clients of addiction health services.