HIV results: practice at public sexual health clinics in New South Wales

Abstract

New South Wales (NSW) Health guidelines recommend all HIV results be given in person, however this practice fails to achieve high levels of result collection. Fourteen of all 38 NSW public sexual health clinics (37%) surveyed offer HIV results by telephone to low-risk patients, although all positive results are given in person. Efficiency of result-giving, accessibility to results, patient acceptability and awareness of more flexible national guidelines were cited as reasons for varying practice from state guidelines. NSW guidelines require revision to allow clinicians to determine the most effective and efficient mode of HIV result delivery to their patients.