Reuters
Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2007
NEW YORK - Early, routine HIV testing might help stem the spread of the infection among teenagers, according to researchers.
In a study of more than 1,200 sexually active 15- to 21-year-olds, the researchers found that key HIV risk factors -- like having unprotected sex or having a high-risk partner -- had no bearing on whether the study participants sought HIV testing over the next three months.
Instead, the single most important factor was whether they had ever been tested before. Those who had were about three times more likely to seek testing during the study period, the researchers report in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
