Factors associated with HIV testing among Canadians: results of a population-based survey

The purpose of this study was to examine the HIV-testing behaviour of Canadians aged 15 years and older. Questions on HIV testing were asked as part of a Canada-wide random digit dialling telephone survey conducted in December 1995 to January 1996 on health practices and attitudes toward health care in Canada (n=3123). Including blood donation and insurance testing, 40. 4% of men and 30. 4% of women had been tested for HIV. Excluding blood donation and life-insurance testing (voluntary testing), 17. 8% of men and 15. 6% of women had been tested. In multivariate analyses, factors independently associated with voluntary testing among men were: having had sex with a man (OR=16. 8), injection drug use (OR=5. 8), having had a partner at high risk (OR=2. 5), having received blood or clotting factor (OR=2. 3), being younger than 45 years of age (OR=1. 8), living in a city of over one million (OR=1. 7), and making less than 30, 000 a year (OR=1. 6). For women, factors independently associated with voluntary testing were having received blood or clotting factor (OR=3. 9), having had a high-risk partner (OR= 3. 5), being younger than 45 years of age (OR=2. 4), having had sex with a man (OR=2. 3), and being unattached (OR=2. 0). Results indicated that those at risk are more likely to be tested. It is of concern, however, that many of those reporting risk factors have not been tested. A better understanding of HIV testing behaviour is needed to improve the planning and evaluation of prevention and counselling services.