When to perform the final HIV antibody test following possible exposure. 1995


The senior consultant and senior health adviser in all genitourinary medicine clinics in the UK were sent a questionnaire on HIV testing practice in seven clinical scenarios. For each scenario the recommended time interval between possible exposure and final HIV antibody test varied from a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of over 5 years. The results show 2 broad patterns: when the contact was not someone known to be HIV positive the commonest recommended time interval was 3 months; for a known exposure to HIV the commonest recommendation was 6 months. Only 16 out of the 151 clinics replying had a written policy setting out the interval to elapse between possible exposure to HIV and the final test for HIV antibodies. Variation of practice within clinics is less where written policies exist. Some staff in clinics are recommending inappropriately long intervals before the final HIV test.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008486 Physician Executives Physicians who serve in a medical and administrative capacity as head of an organized medical staff and who also may serve as liaison for the medical staff with the administration and governing board. Medical Directors,Director, Medical,Directors, Medical,Medical Director,Executive, Physician,Executives, Physician,Physician Executive
D010818 Practice Patterns, Physicians' Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided. Clinical Practice Patterns,Physician's Practice Patterns,Clinical Practice Pattern,Pattern, Clinical Practice,Patterns, Clinical Practice,Practice Pattern, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Physician's,Prescribing Patterns, Physician,Physician Practice Patterns,Physician Prescribing Pattern,Physician Prescribing Patterns,Physician's Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Physician's,Practice Pattern, Physicians',Practice Patterns, Physician,Prescribing Pattern, Physician
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005260 Female Females
D006113 United Kingdom Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London. Great Britain,Isle of Man
D006176 Gynecology A medical-surgical specialty concerned with the physiology and disorders primarily of the female genital tract, as well as female endocrinology and reproductive physiology.
D006679 HIV Seropositivity Development of neutralizing antibodies in individuals who have been exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/HTLV-III/LAV). AIDS Seroconversion,AIDS Seropositivity,Anti-HIV Positivity,HIV Antibody Positivity,HIV Seroconversion,HTLV-III Seroconversion,HTLV-III Seropositivity,AIDS Seroconversions,AIDS Seropositivities,Anti HIV Positivity,Anti-HIV Positivities,Antibody Positivities, HIV,Antibody Positivity, HIV,HIV Antibody Positivities,HIV Seroconversions,HIV Seropositivities,HTLV III Seroconversion,HTLV III Seropositivity,HTLV-III Seroconversions,HTLV-III Seropositivities,Positivities, Anti-HIV,Positivities, HIV Antibody,Positivity, Anti-HIV,Positivity, HIV Antibody,Seroconversion, AIDS,Seroconversion, HIV,Seroconversion, HTLV-III,Seroconversions, AIDS,Seroconversions, HIV,Seroconversions, HTLV-III,Seropositivities, AIDS,Seropositivities, HIV,Seropositivities, HTLV-III,Seropositivity, AIDS,Seropositivity, HIV,Seropositivity, HTLV-III
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000554 Ambulatory Care Facilities Those facilities which administer health services to individuals who do not require hospitalization or institutionalization. Clinics, Free-Standing,Health Centers, Ambulatory,Outpatient Clinics,Abortion Centers,Abortion Clinics,Ambulatory Care Facilities, Non Hospital,Ambulatory Care Facilities, Non-Hospital,Ambulatory Care Facilities, Nonhospital,Clinic Activities,Family Planning Centers,Outpatient Clinic,Urgent Care Centers,Urgent Care Clinics,Abortion Center,Abortion Clinic,Activities, Clinic,Activity, Clinic,Ambulatory Care Facility,Ambulatory Health Center,Ambulatory Health Centers,Care Center, Urgent,Care Centers, Urgent,Care Clinic, Urgent,Care Clinics, Urgent,Center, Abortion,Center, Ambulatory Health,Center, Family Planning,Center, Urgent Care,Centers, Abortion,Centers, Ambulatory Health,Centers, Family Planning,Centers, Urgent Care,Clinic Activity,Clinic, Abortion,Clinic, Free-Standing,Clinic, Outpatient,Clinic, Urgent Care,Clinics, Abortion,Clinics, Free Standing,Clinics, Outpatient,Clinics, Urgent Care,Facilities, Ambulatory Care,Facility, Ambulatory Care,Family Planning Center,Free-Standing Clinic,Free-Standing Clinics,Health Center, Ambulatory,Urgent Care Center,Urgent Care Clinic

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