HIV Knowledge, Perceived Risk and Gender as Modulators of Salivary HIV Rapid Testing in African Americans
Of more than 1.2 million people in the United States living with HIV infection, almost 1 in 8
(12.8%) are unaware of their infection. Early testing remains one of the most effective prevention strategies.
For years, researchers have known that knowledge of HIV status and quality of
life (QoL) are related. In a large study of 2,864 HIV-infected adults, were evaluated for eight
health domains with the medical outcomes study SF-36.
Physical functioning was about the same as normal for adults with asymptomatic
HIV disease and was worse for those with symptomatic HIV disease.
Emotional well-being was significantly worse for patients with other
chronic diseases except depression.
In a study by Dalmaida et al2 , a sample of 292 persons living with HIV reported
that additional factors such as religion, mental health, medication adherence
and social support are important in the health related QoL of PLWH.
In another study of 226 HIV-infected males in the southern US,
the authors found that coping and social support were related
to some aspects of health, but that depressive symptoms were
related to all aspects of health related QoL.
In a sample of 121 HIV-infected gay and bisexual men
(64 African American, 57 White), the African American
males reported higher use of multiple coping strategies.
The introduction of a rapid HIV test using a saliva sample in 2004
made immediate results possible in community-based settings,
thereby eliminating the use of invasive techniques using oral methods
rather than blood draws, lengthy
delays for test results, reducing stigma, lack of privacy, and the
need to return to the agency for getting the test results.
HIV/AIDS Res Treat Open J. 2017; SE(1): S31-S37. doi: 10.17140/HARTOJSE-1-105
