摘要：We used data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey to examine the potential role of dental care in reaching untested individuals at self-reported risk for HIV. An estimated 3.6 million Americans report that they are at significant HIV risk yet have never been HIV tested. Three quarters of these people have seen a dentist within the past 2 years. Dental care offers opportunities to serve at-risk individuals who are otherwise unlikely to be tested or to receive preventive care services. Among the estimated 1 million Americans living with HIV and AIDS, roughly one fifth are unaware of their infected status. 1 , 2 Early diagnosis, combined with other prevention services, could decrease HIV incidence and reduce morbidity and mortality. 3 – 6 Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines make it a priority to bring HIV screening into many medical and social service settings. 7 Key professional associations have set similar priorities. 8 Rapid oral HIV testing offers a promising innovation for early HIV diagnosis. These rapid oral-testing technologies permit a highly sensitive and specific, fast, simple, minimally invasive, cost-effective way to screen for HIV serostatus. For several reasons, dental offices provide a promising venue for such testing. 9 – 14 First, the oral health provider is already conducting an examination. A rapid oral fluid test could be administered at the start of a routine visit, with results available within 20 minutes. Second, oral health providers are becoming involved in other primary-care screening efforts (e.g., hypertension, oral cancer, glycosylated hemoglobin). 15 – 17 Rapid HIV testing could be a logical extension of such activities. Third, some oral health providers practice in community health care settings that are especially well-equipped to link newly diagnosed patients to HIV primary care. Finally, persons may be more likely to regularly visit dentists than to frequent other settings where HIV testing is offered. Data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were used to investigate whether persons at self-identified risk for HIV visit dental settings. In particular, we examined (1) the frequency with which persons at risk for HIV visit dental offices, and (2) whether dental settings reach at-risk persons who have not been tested in other clinical settings.
