J Clin Gastroenterol. 2006 Sep;40(8):732-739.

National Multicenter Study of HIV Testing and HIV Seropositivity in Patients
With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Bini EJ, Currie SL, Shen H, Brau N, Schmidt W, Anand BS, Cheung R, Wright
TL; for the VA HCV-001 Study Group.

*VA New York Harbor Healthcare System and NYU School of Medicine, New York,
NY daggerVA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA double daggerVA Medical
Center, Bronx, NY paragraph signVA Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA section
signVA Medical Center, Iowa City, IA parallelVA Medical Center, Houston, TX
#Other members of the VA HCV-001 Study Group are listed in the.

BACKGROUND: Although HIV testing is recommended for persons with hepatitis C
virus (HCV) infection who are at risk for HIV, little is known about HIV
testing in this population. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected in
4364 HCV-infected patients at 24 Veterans Affairs medical centers across the
United States, including demographics, risk factors for HIV infection, and
self-reported information on HIV testing. RESULTS: Overall, 76.8% had been
tested for HIV at least once, 14.8% were never tested, 6.6% did not know if
they were tested, and 1.8% declined to answer. Multivariable analysis
identified injection drug use, needlestick injury, sex with a same-sex
partner, a greater number of lifetime sexual partners, and sex with an
injection drug user as factors that were independently associated with HIV
testing. At least one risk factor for HIV infection was present in 84.5% of
the 646 patients who were never HIV tested. Among the 3350 subjects who were
tested for HIV, 8.4% were positive, 88.3% were negative, 2.4% did not know
the results of their test, and 0.9% declined to answer. Multivariable
analysis identified African American and Hispanic race/ethnicity, income
</=$10,000, sex with a same-sex partner, and sex with an injection drug user
as the only variables that were independently associated with HIV
seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS: Although a substantial proportion of
HCV-infected patients have been tested for HIV, missed opportunities for
early diagnosis of HIV infection exist. Public health strategies to improve
HIV testing among patients with chronic HCV infection are needed.

PMID: 16940888 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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