HIV testing from a community perspective.

The communities of people impacted by AIDS in the United States are diverse and have divergent opinions about HIV antibody testing. Concerns over social issues like stigma, confidentiality, and disclosure, combined with a legacy of advocacy, have shaped testing policies and praxis since the introduction of HIV antibody testing in 1985. The continued impact of the HIV epidemic on the underserved and socially marginalized focuses these concerns and highlights the importance of linkages between testing and care and treatment. The development of new testing technologies challenges HIV communities to develop a new rhetoric promoting early detection of the disease.