Reasons for seeking HIV testing at a public testing event

Outreach HIV Testing is a key strategy in Jamaica's National Response to HIV/AIDS, but little is known about the risk behaviours of persons who access outreach testing or their reasons for testing. The present study assessed reasons persons tested at outreach events, their previous testing behaviour, and sexual risk behaviours. The goal was to assess whether high-risk persons are accessing outreach testing.

Pre-test counsellors offered the questionnaire to each person at the beginning of their pre-test counselling session at a World AIDS Day testing event.

530 persons (352 Females and 178 Males) completed the interviewer administered survey. The majority of the participants (90.4%) were sexually active, with an average of 2.2 partners, in the past year. 62 % of participants were repeat testers, and 26% of the total had tested in the past 12 months. The most common reasons given for seeking HIV testing were ‘just wanted to know' (66.0%), ‘testing is free' (18.5%), and ‘recent risk behaviour' (6.2%). Consistent condom use was low with main partners and non-regular partners. 7.2% reported being diagnosed with an STI, 2.1% received cash for sex and 1.9% paid for sex in the past 12 months.

Outreach testing reaches persons who may be at high risk for HIV infection through multiple partners and inconsistent condom use. However, participants did not cite these risk factors as reasons for testing. An important next step for the National programme will be to infuse this knowledge on risk behaviours into pre and post test counselling during VCT.