Changes in sexually transmitted disease rates after HIV testing and posttest counseling, Miami, 1988 to 1989

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 83; no. 4; pp. 529 - 533
• Main Authors: Otten, M W, Jr, Zaidi, A A, Wroten, J E, Witte, J J, Peterman, T A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.04.1993; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; AIDS Serodiagnosis - standards; AIDS/HIV; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Condoms; Contact Tracing; Counseling; Counseling - organization & administration; Counseling - standards; Counselling; Factors; Female; Florida - epidemiology; Gonorrhea; Gonorrhea - diagnosis; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; Gonorrhea - prevention & control; Health Behavior; Health Status Indicators; HIV; HIV Seroprevalence; Human bacterial diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Incidence; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical research; Medical sciences; Miami; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Organizational Objectives; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Program Evaluation; Rates; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Screening; Sexual Behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - diagnosis; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - prevention & control; STD; Tests; Florida; United States; North America; America; Miami Florida; United States > US; Human; Immunopathology; Seropositivity; Psychological counseling; Behavior change; AIDS; Hemopathy; Gonorrhea; Medical screening; Epidemiology; Infection; Prevention; Sexually transmitted disease; Viral disease; Bacteriosis; Public health
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.83.4.529

The effects of posttest counseling on acquisition of sexually transmitted diseases in patients at a large urban sexually transmitted disease clinic were studied. Comparisons were made of the percentage of patients who had a positive gonorrhea culture (or any sexually transmitted disease) in the 6 months before and after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling and testing. For 331 patients counseled about a positive HIV test, the percentage with gonorrhea was 6.3 before and 4.5 after posttest counseling (29% decrease). For 666 patients counseled about a negative test, the percentage with gonorrhea was 2.4 before and 5.0 after posttest counseling (106% increase). With any sexually transmitted disease as the outcome, patients who tested positive for HIV had a 12% decrease and patients who tested negative had a 103% increase after counseling. HIV counseling and testing was associated with a moderate decrease in sexually transmitted diseases among patients who tested positive for the virus, but risk increased for patients who tested negative. This suggests a need to improve posttest counseling in this clinic and to assess the effects of counseling and testing in other clinics.