Case Studies in HIV Testing: Deciding Who to Test and How to Discuss Results

According to the CDC, 1.2 million people aged 13 and older were living with HIV (PLWH) in the US at the end of 2019. The CDC HIV Care Continuum offers a snapshot of this population from diagnosis, linkage to medical care, retention in care, and viral suppression. Of the 1.2 million PLWH, 87% were diagnosed, 66% had received medical care, 50% were retained in care, and 57% had achieved viral suppression. Furthermore, only 81% were linked to care within one month of a new HIV diagnosis. These gaps in the care continuum are major targets for the United States’ Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative to scale up HIV prevention and treatment to reach the goal of reducing HIV infections in the US by 90% by 2030. Early diagnosis, immediate linkage to care and rapid initiation of antiretrovirals are key public health strategies to get people virally suppressed faster to improve individual health and reduce HIV transmission in the community. It is crucial that the care team identify best practices for HIV testing and care linkage in partnership with communities to work towards Ending the HIV Epidemic.

Using a combination of didactic presentation and case vignettes, this free interactive CME/CNE-certified webinar will focus on how the care team can improve HIV testing rates and how individuals diagnosed with HIV are brought into the care continuum.