Partner Notification for Youth Living With HIV in 14 Cities in the United States
Year: 2017
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Identifying factors associated with partner notification among youth living with HIV is critical for effective HIV prevention and treatment strategies. METHODS: A total of 924 male and female behaviorally infected youth aged 13-24 across 14 U.S. cities completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview including questions about demographics and experiences with patient- and provider-referral partner notification. RESULTS: The majority of participants self-identified as male (82.5%), Black/non-Hispanic (70.1%), and Hispanic/Latino (18.2%). Most males (93.4%) reported engaging in male-to-male sexual contact. Over three-quarters (77.6%) reported that all or some of their partners were contacted, while 22.4% indicated that none were contacted regarding potential HIV exposure. Most (52.4%) reported that only one person talked to them about notifying partners including the HIV tester (36.5%) followed by their health care provider/doctor (27.6%). Less than a fifth (18.3%) were themselves notified of their own exposure to HIV. Using multivariable logistic regression, 3 factors were associated with successful partner notification: (1) when more than one person talked to participants about partner notification (AOR = 1.87, 1.33-2.62); (2) if they themselves had been notified of their own HIV exposure (AOR = 1.83, 1.13-2.95); and (3) if their education included some college or technical school versus less than high school (AOR = 1.72, 1.04-2.85). CONCLUSIONS: Partner notification among youth living with HIV is unsuccessful at least 22.4% of the time, although minimal criteria for partner services are being met almost universally. Partner notification might benefit from enhanced guidelines that call for both HIV testers and HIV care providers to discuss this important strategy with HIV-positive youth.
Authors: Jacob J. van den Berg, Marjan Javanbakht, Pamina M. Gorbach, Bret J. Rudy, Andrew O. Westfall, Craig M. Wilson, Michelle A. Lally, The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G130733831, Pharyngeal gonorrhea among young people: Implication for prevention, Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) - DOC, G5267713852, Advance Clinical and Translational Research (Advance-CTR), Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services, Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)
OpenAlex ID: W2763737969