PubMed · 8602052
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J E Banatvala. 1996-04-20. HIV testing over Easter.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(96)90272-x
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OBJECTIVE: To examine the risk of suicide among individuals positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) following screening for evidence of HIV infection. Prior studies have reported a 7- to 36-fold increased risk of suicide for persons with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Military service applicants from throughout the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Death from suicide. METHODS: The National Death Index was searched for mortality among 4147 HIV-positive military service applicants and 12437 HIV-negative applicants disqualified from military service due to other medical conditions (matched 1:3 on age, race, sex, and screening date and location) identified by the US Department of Defense between October 1985 and December 1993. Death certificates were obtained from individual states. Identifiers and HIV status of living applicants were known only by the Department of Defense. RESULTS: The HIV-positive applicants were 92% male, 37% white, and 56% black. Median age was 24 years (range, 17-57 years). Median follow-up time was 70 months (range, 0-99 months). Ten HIV-positive (49 per 100 000 person-years) and 24 HIV-negative applicants (36 per 100 000 person-years) died of suicide (rate ratio [RR], 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.58-2.93). Suicide rates among both HIV-positive (RR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.00-3.82) and HIV-negative (RR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.07-2.48) applicants are marginally higher than those for the US general population, after adjustment for age, race, and sex. Time from screening to death was less than 3 months for 3 of 10 HIV-positive and 2 of 24 HIV-negative applicants who died of suicide. CONCLUSIONS: The HIV-positive individuals do not appear to have a significantly increased risk of death from suicide in the months following HIV screening in this study population. Because suicide risk is reported to be greatly increased after symptomatic HIV disease is present, clinicians should consider asking persons with HIV infection about suicide risk factors during both initial counseling and subsequent medical care.
The relationship between HIV testing history. HIV serostatus, and risk behaviors was examined to investigate factors associated with obtaining an HIV test, returning for results, or receiving multiple tests. Seven hundred and five volunteers for an HIV study were questioned about prior HIV testing, drug and sexual practices, and sociodemographic characteristics. Women who reported a prior HIV test were compared with those without a previous test, women who returned for test results were compared with those not returning; and women who reported multiple tests were compared with those having only one test. Seventy-five percent of the women reported a prior test; 12% had not returned for test results; 46% reported multiple tests. Women reporting higher levels of HIV risk behaviors were more likely to have been tested and to return for results. Injection drug use and having four or more sex partners were significantly associated with repeated HIV testing. Over one third of the women with substantial HIV risk practices had not been HIV tested or failed to obtain test results. Women who obtained multiple HIV tests were more likely to report high-risk practices in spite of having received risk counseling with repeated testing.
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