The voluntary acceptance of HIV-antibody screening by intravenous drug users.

Intravenous drug abusers in a methadone program in Minnesota were offered HIV-antibody screening to determine the degree of interest in screening and extent of infection. Thirty-nine (85 percent) were willing to be tested. Only seven refused. All patients were aware of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and their high risk of exposure to the AIDS virus through sharing of injection paraphernalia. None reported exposure to additional risk factors, such as homosexual or bisexual activity or having received a blood transfusion. Of the patients tested, none was positive for HIV antibodies. The high degree of patient interest in screening was unanticipated as was the lack of positive laboratory findings for HIV antibodies. Factors associated with acceptance of testing included patient awareness of high seroprevalence rates, indifference to potential negative social consequences of positive HIV-antibody status, and the voluntary nature of the testing. These findings raise a cautious sense of optimism about HIV-antibody screening for similar risk groups.