Abstract #62  -  Gender, socio economic status and migration are barriers to HIV testing in Paris area
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Dr Veronique Massari - INSERM
Additional Authors:  Dr Veronique Massari, Dr Annabelle Lapostolle, Dr Isabelle  Parizot, Dr  Pierre Chauvin,
Aim: In France, and mainly in Paris area where 40% of Aids cases are diagnosed, numerous patients disclose their HIV status when after the diagnosis or found with a low CD4 counts (<200/mL). HIV testing can increase awareness, as well as to implement early treatment and prevention measures. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to HIV testing among general population in the Paris metropolitan area.
Method / Issue: This study is based on data collected among 3,023 adult participants of the SIRS cohort study, a socio-epidemiological, representative, population-based study in Paris’s metropolitan area (France) in 2005. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses examined the socio demographic factors associated with the experience of HIV testing during their whole life-time.
Results / Comments: In multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with no HIV testing in women were be age more than 45 years (OR=1.83 95%CI: 1.36-4.45); no pregnancy during the last 15 years (OR=3.68 95%CI: 2.60-5.21), low education level (OR=3.09 95%CI: 1.92-4.98), to be unemployed (OR=1.67 95%CI: 1.04-2.68), to have no sexual relationships (OR=4.33 95%CI: 2.22-8.42), or only one relationship in their whole lifecourse (OR=2.39 95%CI: 1.38-4.14). Factors associated in men included age less than 29 years (OR=2.75 95%CI: 1.74-4.24) or more than 45 years (OR=2.07 95%CI: 1.35-3.15), low education level (OR =1.80; 95%CI: 1.18-2.73), to have no sexual relationship (OR=5.46 95%CI: 2.69-11.10), or only one relationship in their life-time (OR=2.99 95%CI: 1.53-5.85), perceiving oneself as low risk of HIV (OR=1.70 95%CI: 1.23-2.34) and to have a religious affiliation (OR=1.52; 95%CI: 1.01-2.28). Moreover we found that French men born to foreign parent(s) (OR = 1.89 95% CI: 1.34-2.67) and foreigners (OR = 2.27 95% CI: 1.39-3.05) were more likely to report no HIV testing than French citizens born to (both) French parents.
Discussion: This particularly shows that interventions and health policy intended to increase HIV testing and reduce HIV/AIDS should focus on migrant foreign populations as well as on French citizens born from migrants.
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