Will High-Risk STD Clinic Clients Use Home HIV Test Kits?    

Dianne Konen Venzon, MHPA;  
Carol Molinari, PhD;  
Michael Hendryx, PhD;  
Melissa Ahern, PhD 

Objective: To identify personal and product-related characteristics that predict willingness to purchase and use HIV home collection kits among high-risk persons. Methods: Two hundred thirty-five STD clients were surveyed to study whether HIV risk factors and other characteristics predict reported willingness to use the kits. Results: Eighty-one percent of those surveyed indicated they would use the kits. Less than half would inform their sexual contacts if they tested positive. Perceived HIV risk exposure is a significant predictor of individuals' willingness to use the kits.Conclusion: Kit availability has important, largely untested, implications for HIV identification among high-risk populations.

Am J Health Behav 1998;22(4):283-291