The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43754

James M. Tesoriero, PhD¹, Haven B. Battles, PhD¹, and Guthrie S. Birkhead, MD, MPH². (1) Office of Program Evaluation and Research, New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, 150 Broadway, Menands, NY 12204, (518) 402-6814, jmt07@health.state.ny.us, (2) AIDS Institute, Room 412, Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237

In June of 2000, New York became the 33rd state to track HIV as a reportable condition. In addition to name-based reporting, New York was the first state to integrate partner notification with the reporting process. A traditional concern has been that HIV name-based reporting causes individuals to avoid or delay HIV testing or medical care. Past research into this issue has produced conflicting findings, however more recent studies have found little deterrent effects. This study employs interrupted time-series analyses to measure the impact of the HIV reporting and partner notification legislation on the testing levels of publicly funded HIV counseling and testing sites operating in NYS. Outcome variables include the total number of HIV tests, the number of anonymous and confidential tests, and the percentage of HIV-positive test results. Results are provided for the total sample, by testing setting (i.e., anonymous, community based confidential, etc.), and within categories of sex, race/ethnicity, age, and HIV risk factor. Several intervention points are included in each model, representing initial passage of the legislation, passage of the regulations implementing the legislation, and the timing of post-implementation training campaigns. Results indicate little support for an overall deterrent effect of HIV reporting and partner notification on testing behavior. Subgroup differences in HIV testing trends were observed. Because data were not originally designed to support a rigorous study of HIV testing trends, a number of inherent limitations are discussed.

Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this session, the participant (learner) in the session will be able to
• Understand the nature and scope of New York’s HIV Reporting and Partner Notification Law and how it relates to HIV testing in NYS;
• Appreciate the value of applying interrupted times series methodologies to isolate the potential impact of discrete events such as new laws on social behavior;
• Articulate the importance of examining sub- group differences to identify contingent relationships otherwise masked by overall trends.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

HIV Risk, Risk Reduction, and Testing

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA