Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Attitudes towards HIV-antibody testing among general practitioners and their patients

  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A study was conducted by the French Communicable Diseases Network to evaluate the use of HIV-antibody testing by general practitioners. The study was aimed at determining the type of patient being tested and why. Data from two periods, Nov-Dec 86 and March-April 87, were compared. The percentages of subjects spontaneously asking for the test were about 50% in both studied periods. During the first period, tested patients were mainly male subjects (82%) and belonged to high risk groups (66%), whereas during the second period male subjects represented 47% and subjects belonging to high risk groups 27% of those tested. During the four months between the 2 study periods, an information campaing on AIDS was begun.

During the second study period, in fact, the number of women being tested had increased, the number of patients with clinical symptoms had decreased and more patients were tested because of past or present STDs. In addition, fewer seropositive subjects were found during the second period. Only one subject with no known risk factor was found to be seropositive but she did have clinical symptoms of HIV infection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anderson R., Underhill G., Kenny C., Shah N., Burnell R., Jeffries D.J., Harris J.R.W. (1987): AIDS Publicity Campaigns. Lancet; i 1429–1430.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Beck EJ., Cunningham D.G., Moss V.W., Harris J.R.W., Pinching A.J. (1987): HIV testing: changing trends at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases in London. Brit. Med. J., 295: 191–193.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Pollack M., Schiltz M.A. (1987): Identité sociale et gestion d'un risque de santé. Les homosexuels face au SIDA. Actes de la Recherche, 68: 77–102.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sonnex C., Petherick A., Adler M.W., Miller D. (1987): HIV infection: increase in public awareness and anxiety. Brit. Med. J., 295: 193–195.

    Google Scholar 

  5. ValleronA-J., Bouvet E., Garnerin P., Menares J., Heard I., Letrait S., Lefaucheux J. (1987): A Computer Network for the Surveillance of Communicable Diseases, The French Experiment. Am. J. of Public Health, 76: 1289–1292

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Recherches Biomathématiques et Biostatistiques (URBB) INSERM et Université Paris 7, 2 place Jussieu, 75251, Paris, France

    V. Massari & A. J. Valleron

  2. Direction Generale de la Santé, Bureau des maladies transmissibles, Paris, France

    J. B. Brunet & E. Bouvet

Authors
  1. V. Massari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. B. Brunet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Bouvet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. J. Valleron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Massari, V., Brunet, J.B., Bouvet, E. et al. Attitudes towards HIV-antibody testing among general practitioners and their patients. Eur J Epidemiol 4, 435–438 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146394

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146394

Key words

Search

Navigation