A descriptive analysis of students seeking HIV antibody testing at a university health service

Abstract

The authors describe 255 students who voluntarily sought human immunodeficiency (HIV) antibody testing at a university health center. Fifty-nine percent of the students were women, their average age was 22.6 years, and they had low reported rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Nearly one third of the students had been previously tested for HIV. Approximately 40% of students described sexual activities that placed them at some risk for HIV infection and other sexual problems, such as unintended pregnancy and STDs. None of the students expected that their HIV test results would be positive, and that proved to be the case. Results of this study are discussed with a view to the role of HIV testing and counseling in campus AIDS programming.