Missed Opportunities – Characteristics of People who Received a Concurrent HIV/AIDS Diagnosis in New York State from 2016 – 2021

Abstract

Background: Late HIV diagnosis is associated with a wide range of negative outcomes. This study aims to identify characteristics of individuals who received a concurrent diagnosis (CDX) in New York State (NYS) so that more effective interventions can be developed to encourage earlier testing among these populations. Methods: The NYS HIV registry was used to identify people who received a CDX from 2016 – 2021. A CDX was a diagnosis that met the criteria for a stage 3 HIV infection within 30 days of the initial HIV diagnosis. Sex at birth, race/ethnicity, transmission risk group, age at diagnosis, region of residence at diagnosis, urbanicity of zip code of diagnosis, and type of diagnosing facility were used as covariates. Bivariate and multivariate risk ratios were calculated to quantify associations between CDX and covariates. Results: There were 14,866 people newly diagnosed with HIV in NYS from 2016 – 2021, of which 19.0% had a CDX. Those with female sex at birth, IDU, or MSM/IDU risk were less likely to have a CDX. Increased age, Asian race/ethnicity, residence outside of New York City, and diagnosis at inpatient facilities or emergency rooms were associated with an increased likelihood of a CDX. Conclusion: Populations with the highest proportions of CDX were ones that made up a small percentage of all new HIV diagnoses and may not be benefiting as much from current HIV prevention efforts. There are complex interactions between many factors including geographic and social characteristics which may lead to delayed diagnostic testing.