If a confirmatory test is still needed, what is the advantage to sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics of using rapid HIV testing?
The advantage to the clinic is that more people will receive their test results without expensive field visits. Most of the clients at all U.S. publicly funded testing sites, including STD clinics, test negative for HIV. For these persons (approximately 2.1 million in 1996), the need to make a second visit would be eliminated. Of all testing sites, STD clinics have had the lowest proportion of persons who return for HIV test results. Thus, rapid HIV tests have the potential to greatly increase the number of persons who learn their results. In addition, persons who test HIV-positive by the rapid HIV test can be advised immediately of their screening test result, and counseled about the need to take precautions to prevent the possibility of transmitting HIV. These persons of course need to return for their confirmatory test result.
