NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 17, 2013
Contact: Lulu Francois (215.825.8202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

PHMC releases statistics on HIV testing in Southeastern Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA—Nearly one half of adults (47%) age 18 and older in the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) region have never been tested for HIV, while fewer than one in four (22%) of adults have been tested within the past year, according to survey data released today from the 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, an annual survey conducted by Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) Center for Data Innovation.

The regional results underscore President Obama's recently announced National HIV/AIDS Strategy to reduce new HIV infections, increase access to care and improve health outcomes for people with HIV by 2015. Locally, PHMC conducts annual screenings across their health network, and recently received a grant from Gilead to provide "linkage to care" coordinators to help HIV positive patients navigate the treatment process. PHMC is also among the first community health centers in the nation to use an advanced "Fourth Generation" test that detects the disease far earlier than was previously possible.

The data below focus on HIV testing behaviors among adults age 18 and older in Southeastern SEPA, specifically among those who have recently been tested for HIV and those who have never been tested.

Adults Tested for HIV in Past Year
Fewer than one in four (22%) SEPA adults 18 years of age or older have been tested for HIV within the past year, which represents an estimated 690,600 adults in the region.

• A greater percentage of younger adults have been tested in the past year compared with older adults. For example, 36% of adults 18-39 had an HIV test in the past year compared with 18% of adults age 50-59.
• Black (42%) and Latino (41 %) adults are more likely than white (14%) and Asian (14%) adults to have been tested in the past year.
• A greater percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma report having an HIV test within the past year compared with adults with further educational attainment. For example, 36% of adults with less than a high school diploma were tested, as compared with 26% of those with a high school degree and 17% of those with a college degree or more.
• Two in five (43%) adults identifying as homosexual, gay or lesbian and 35% of adults identifying as bisexual have been tested for HIV in the past year compared with 22% of adults identifying as heterosexual or straight.
• More than two in five adults (44%) living below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level have been tested within the past year, representing approximately 165,000 adults, compared with one in five adults (20%) living at or above 100% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Preventive Screening Behaviors
Adults who report having an HIV test within the past year also report receiving other recommended preventive screenings in the past year.

• More than three-quarters of women 18 years of age or older who have been tested for HIV in the past year have also received a pap smear (79%) or a clinical breast exam (76%) in the past year.
• Similarly, more than three-quarters of women 40 years of age or older have been tested for HIV and received a mammogram in the past year (76%).
• Among men 45 years of age or older, more than six in 10 have been tested for HIV and received a prostate exam in the past year (62%).

Adults Never Tested for HIV
Nearly one half of adults (47%) age 18 and older in the SEPA region have never been tested for HIV. Those more likely to report never having an HIV test include adults who are:

• White and Asian: Over one half of white (56%) and Asian (56%) adults have never been tested compared with 30% of Latino and 26% of black adults.
• Educated beyond high school: Adults with a college degree or more are more likely than those with less than a high school education to have never been tested (49% compared with 41% respectively).
• Heterosexual or straight: Nearly one half (47%) of heterosexual or straight adults have never been tested for HIV compared with 23% of homosexual, gay, or lesbian adults and 20% of bisexual adults.
• Living at or above 100% poverty guidelines: One half of adults living at or above 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (50%) have never been tested for HIV compared with one quarter of adults living below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (27%).
• Age 60 or older: Older adults are more likely than younger adults to report never having been tested for HIV: 66% of adults age 60-74 and 81% of adults age 75+ have never been tested compared with 32% of adults age 18-39, 33% of adults age 40-49, and 49% of adults age 50-59.

Preventive Screening Behaviors
Adults who have never been tested report lower levels of preventive screenings in the past year:

• Half of women (18+) who have never been tested for HIV received a pap smear in the past year (50%); 63% of women (18+) received a clinical breast exam in the past year.
• More than six in ten women (40+) who have never been tested for HIV received a mammogram in the past year (62%).
• Finally, more than half of men (45+) who have never been tested for HIV received a prostate exam in the past year (55%).

Access to Care
Adults in Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs who have never been tested for HIV tend to report their health as "good" to "excellent" (85%), have health insurance (91%), have a regular source of care (90%), and have made at least one visit to their doctor or healthcare professional in the past year (87%).

These data present the differences in access to care among those who have never been tested for HIV:

• Regular source of care: Nearly half of adults who do not have a regular source of health care (48%) and 42% of adults with a regular source of care have never been tested for HIV.
• Healthcare visits: A similar percentage of adults with no visits to a doctor or healthcare professional in the past year and those with one or more visits have never been tested for HIV (43% and 47% respectively).
• ER visits: Half of adults who had no visits to the emergency room in the past year have never been tested for HIV (50%) in comparison with 39% of adults who had one or more visits to the ER.
• Insurance status: Among uninsured adults 18-64 years of age, nearly three in ten have never been tested for HIV (28%); 42% of insured adults have never been tested.

The Household Health Survey is conducted by telephone and includes 10,000 households in the SEPA region (Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties). The survey examined HIV testing by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. For more information about these findings, contact Sarah Ingerman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Public Health Management Corporation Center for Data Innovation
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. The Center for Data Innovation includes the Community Health Data Base (CHDB) and its annual Household Health Survey, one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation, Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors, help to support the CHDB and survey. For more information visit www.phmc.org or contact Francine Axler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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