The Mainstreaming of U.S. HIV Testing?: Evidence from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, 1987-2010

Ryan Moltz, University of Minnesota
Miriam King, University of Minnesota
Christine G. Kunitz, University of Minnesota

We analyze how the prevalence, predictors, locus, and motivation for HIV testing have changed between 1987 and 2010, using data from the AIDS Knowledge and Attitudes supplement of the U.S. National Health Interview Survey. Previous research using this source has failed to capitalize on the long time series of data. (1) Using descriptive statistics, we evaluate how the characteristics of persons tested for HIV in the United States have changed over time. (2) Using logistic regression and dummy variables representing "policy regimes" (i.e., CDC recommendations for HIV testing), we evaluate how the predictors of being tested for HIV have changed over time. (3) We analyze trends in the location and reported motivation for HIV testing. An overarching question is to what extent HIV testing has become routine medical practice, in line with 2006 CDC recommendations advocating routine, voluntary HIV testing as a normal part of medical practice.