Prevalence of HIV Testing among MSM High School Students

Introduction/Background: In 2015, youth aged 13 to 24 years accounted for 22% of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States. Among youth, 81% diagnosed were men who have sex with men (MSM). Additionally, racial/ethnic disparities in HIV exist, with most incident cases among young Black and Hispanic males. If current rates continue, about 1 in 2 Black MSM and 1 in 4 Hispanic MSM will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The CDC recommends annual testing for MSM between 13 and 18 years old. However, little is known about HIV testing behaviors among high school students. Reducing the number of unrecognized HIV infections through increased HIV testing would reduce the potential for ongoing transmission. Methods: Using pooled data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, administered in 34 jurisdictions throughout the United States, we examined HIV testing rates in 2,794 MSM high school students. HIV testing rates were evaluated among four racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Hispanic, Other). Key Findings: One-third (32.8%) of high school-aged MSM reported having an HIV test in their lifetime. Compared with White peers, Black, Hispanic, and MSM of other race/ethnicity reported higher prevalence of HIV testing (White: 28.4%, Black: 37.7%, Hispanic: 32.1%, Other: 34.9%). However, these findings were not found to be significant. Implications for Research and Practice: There is a need to increase HIV testing rates in sexual minority males. HIV testing is recommended for all high school-aged MSM, however only 33% of this sample reported testing. Although no significant differences were found in HIV testing rates across White, Black, Hispanic, and other race/ethnicity MSM, HIV testing rates were higher among young Black and Latino MSM. Future research and interventions should focus on improving HIV testing rates in high school, particularly among sexual minority males, regardless of race/ethnicity.