Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2014
Abstract
Background. Lack of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection awareness may be a driver of racial disparities in HIV infection amongmen who have sex withmen (MSM). Lack of awareness is typicallymeasured by comparing HIV test result to self-reported HIV status. This measure may be subject to reporting bias and alternatives are needed. Methods. The InvolveMENt study examined HIV disparities between black and whiteMSM from Atlanta. Among HIV-positive participants who did not report knowing they were positive, we examined other measures of awareness: HIV viral load (VL)/mL (low VL), antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in blood, and previous HIV case surveillance report. Results. Using self-report only, 32% (62 of 192) of black and 16% (7 of 45) of white MSM were not aware of their HIV infection (P = .03). Using self-report and low VL, 25% (48 of 192) black and 16% (7 of 45) white MSM lacked awareness (P = .18). Using self-report and ARVs, 26% (50 of 192) black and 16% (7 of 45) white MSM lacked awareness (P = .14). Using self-report and surveillance report, 15% (28 of 192) black and 13% (6 of 45) white MSM lacked awareness (P = .83). Conclusions. Self-report only may overestimate true lack of awareness of HIV status for black MSM. If, as our data suggest, black MSM are not less likely to be aware of their HIV infection than are white MSM, then this factor is not a substantial driver of HIV disparity. Future HIV research that depends on accuratemeasurement of HIV status awareness should consider including additional laboratory and case surveillance data.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofu084
Recommended Citation
Travis H. Sanchez, Colleen F. Kelley, Eli Rosenberg, Nicole Luisi, Brandon O'Hara, Rodriques Lambert, Raphael Coleman, Paula Frew, Laura F. Salazar, Sijia Tao, William Clarke, Carlos del Rio, Patrick S. Sullivan; Lack of Awareness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Problems and Solutions With Self-reported HIV Serostatus of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 1, Issue 2, 1 September 2014, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofu084
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
Originally Published in:
Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 1, Issue 2, 1 September 2014, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofu084