Journal of Preventive Medicine

Demographic Profile Impacts HIV Testing Rates among Adolescents and Young Adults in South Bronx, NY

Introduction: Our Community Health Center offers routine HIV testing to all adolescents and young adults who are within the age range of 13 through 21 years. We sought to examine the effectiveness of our own program in relation to the demographic profile of the community we serve. Methods: Demographic datasets of 5,603 patient visits of adolescent patients and young adults who sought preventive care in our facility throughout a period of 16 months (years 2015-2016), were retrieved in an unidentified manner, tabulated and analyzed. Results: Only 3,775 (67%) patient visit charts included declared ethnicities while 1,586 [33%] did not. Out of the 3,775 declared races or ethnicities, the 3 main ones were, 2668 [71%] Hispanics, 978 (21%) blacks, 109 (3%) whites. The HIV testing rates in these 3 main ethnicities were 29% for whites, 20% for Hispanics and 18% for blacks [p<0.05 for whites compared to blacks and Hispanics]. There was a significant inverse linear correlation among patient ages and their number of clinic visits during the study period [p=0.000; R2Ad=97%]. From age 13 through age 19, there was a significant direct linear correlation among patient ages and rates of HIV testing [p=0.000; R2Ad=93%]. Patient ages of 20 and 21 years showed a decline in the rates of HIV testing. Conclusions: Compliance with HIV testing in South Bronx tends to be better among older teenagers and among patients of the white ethnicity. Compliance with scheduled clinic visits for preventive care declines as teenagers become older.

Author(s):

Mayer Sagy, Duke Nelson and Walid Michelen

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