Document 0628
 DOCN  M95A0628
 TI    Perseverance pays off: health care providers' impact on HIV testing
       decisions by female adolescents. American Pediatric Society 104th annual
       meeting and Society for Pediatric Research 63rd annual meeting; 1994 May
       2-5; Seattle.
 DT    9510
 AU    Goodman E; Tipton AC; Hecht L; Chesney MA; Harvard University, Boston,
       MA, USA.
 SO    Pediatr AIDS HIV Infect. 1994 Oct;5(5):317 (unnumbered abstract). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE AIDS/95330416
 AB    HIV testing services for teenagers have expanded in recent years
       following the recognition that adolescents are at significant risk for
       acquiring HIV. However, little is known about what leads adolescents who
       engage in high risk behaviors to be tested for HIV or what distinguishes
       those who obtain testing from those who do not. We prospectively
       interviewed 124 high risk adolescent girls attending a general
       pediatrics clinic with adolescent medicine providers at a large urban
       HMO for regularly scheduled appointments. Confidential HIV testing was
       available at the clinic. The teens were asked about HIV-related
       knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors prior to their medical
       visit. 71% were Black. Mean age was 16.3 years. At initial interview,
       75% had had unprotected intercourse in the past 3 months. 57% reported
       an STD. None had used injection drugs. One-third were very worried they
       would get AIDS, though 53% did not feel their behaviors put them at risk
       for infection. 33% had discussed testing with a provider before
       participating in this study. After seeing their provider who counseled
       about risk behaviors and the availability of testing, 41% obtained an
       HIV test at the clinic the day of their visit. In a multivariate model,
       having discussed HIV testing before with a provider [OR = 3.47, 95% CI's
       (1.26, 9.52)] was the only independent predictor of testing. Age, race,
       grade, risk behaviors, perceived risk, worry, HIV-related knowledge and
       beliefs, discussions with friends, and knowing a person with AIDS were
       not associated with testing. We conclude that health care providers have
       significant impact on adolescents' decisions to obtain HIV testing.
       Providers need to keep this role in mind when they engage adolescents in
       discussions about health and give consistent and repeated information.
       These data augur well for the role health care providers can take in
       helping teens address their risks for HIV infection through use of HIV
       testing and other AIDS prevention efforts. The effects of HIV testing on
       subsequent beliefs and behaviors need further study.
 DE    Adolescence  Adolescent Medicine  AIDS Serodiagnosis/*PSYCHOLOGY
       Decision Making  Female  *Health Education  *Health Personnel  Human
       Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice  Prospective Studies  Risk Factors  Sex
       Behavior  MEETING ABSTRACT  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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