Many gay, bisexual men complacent about HIV testing

Sep 26 2014

Gay and bisexual men say HIV is the No. 1 health issue facing their community, but just 30 percent say they were tested for the virus within the last year as recommended. Another 30 percent say they have never been tested, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Politico Pro: Despite HIV Worries, Many Gay Men Don't Get Tested
Gay men say HIV/AIDS is the No. 1 health issue facing their community, and although more than half are worried about being infected, relatively few have been tested recently for the virus, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (Norman, 9/25).

San Francisco Chronicle: Gay, Bisexual Men Complacent About HIV Testing, Study Finds
Survey results released Thursday suggest a troubling complacency toward HIV among gay and bisexual men in the United States that public health experts say could undermine efforts to slow down or even stop the spread of the disease. Fewer than 20 percent of gay and bisexual men have been tested for HIV in the previous six months -- as recommended by national public health agencies -- and almost a third have never been tested at all, according to a survey conducted in the summer by the Kaiser Family Foundation (Allday, 9/25).

CQ Healthbeat: People At Risk Of Spreading HIV/AIDS Unaware Of Precautionary Steps, Survey Finds
Most gay and bisexual men are not aware of steps they can take to lower the risk of spreading HIV/AIDS, even though men who have sex with men comprise the largest share of newly-infected Americans, according to new data released Thursday. About 63 percent of people who became infected with HIV in 2010 were men who have sex with men, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report. But a survey released separately by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that only 26 percent of gay and bisexual men know about a daily pill that HIV-negative people can take to lower their risks of contracting the disease (Adams, 9/25).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: For Gay Men, Gaps In HIV Knowledge, Treatment Persist
Just 30 percent of gay and bisexual men say they were tested for HIV within the last year as recommended; another 30 percent say they have never been tested. And even when they are tested, only half of those who have been diagnosed with HIV are receiving care and treatment for their infection (Gold, 9/25).