Alcohol Use and HIV Testing in a National Sample of Women

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority groups and women in the United States. Prevention research suggests that reduced alcohol use and increased HIV testing are associated with lower incidence of HIV transmission among high-risk populations. Multivariable logistic regression analyses of the 2009 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data were performed for a national sample of 15,470 adult women to examine the relationship between alcohol use and likelihood of HIV testing. There is a significant association between level of alcohol use and HIV testing. Women who identified as heavy drinkers and moderate drinkers were significantly less likely to report ever testing for HIV. Findings add to the limited literature on the association between alcohol use and HIV testing behaviors among women. Given the incidence of HIV among women, this study highlights the importance of HIV testing, especially for alcohol using women.

Individual and partner characteristics associated with HIV testing and counseling uptake among individuals 50 years or older in Tanzania

“…28 In studies of younger individuals at-risk for HIV, excessive drinking was associated with increased risk behavior and lower overall health, including lower uptake of preventative services like regular HIV testing. 29,30 Our study findings suggest that this behavior has similar effects on HTC uptake across different age groups.…”

HIV Related Knowledge, HIV Testing Decision-Making, and Perceptions of Alcohol Use as a Risk Factor for HIV among Black and African American Women

“…A key contribution of this research is its use of the socioecological framework to systematically examine the role of alcohol use as a risk factor for HIV acquisition and transmission. While other studies have examined alcohol use and HIV testing among women [ 98 ], to the best of our knowledge, this is among the first studies to qualitatively examine perceptions of alcohol use as a risk factor for HIV acquisition and transmission for Black and African American women residing in urban and suburban communities. We explored this important question while also concurrently assessing HIV-related knowledge and HIV testing decision-making because protective factors such as HIV knowledge and HIV testing are central to mitigating HIV risk behaviors.…”

Enhancing HIV Prevention Services: Exploring Psychosocial Associations of HIV Antibody Testing Frequency among Sexually Active Men who have Sex with Men

“…57 Despite enhancing the risk of transmission by greater than 200%, research has consistently found a negative relationship between levels of drinking and the likelihood of ever testing for HIV. [58][59][60][61] For people who may have been exposed to HIV, knowledge is critical to making informed decisions. An antibody test is a serious event with potentially serious outcomes.…”