More Frequent HIV Testing Could Be Cost-Effective For Some High Risk Populations

HIV testing as often as quarterly for men who have sex with men (MSM) would still be cost-effective compared with annual testing, according to a study in the online Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. However, more frequent testing for injection-drug users, another high-risk population, would generally not be cost effective, the study found.

Researchers arrived at these findings after using a mathematical model of HIV transmission to consider the timing and type of HIV testing for theoretical cohorts of 10,000 MSM and injection-drug users. The analysis factored in the costs of HIV testing and treatment initiation, HIV transmissions averted, and treatment costs saved from averted transmissions.

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For MSM, testing every 6 months as well as testing every 3 months was cost-saving or cost-effective compared with annual testing. The finding applied to both fourth-generation and rapid, point-of-care testing.

For injection-drug users, testing every 6 months compared with annual testing was moderately cost-effective using a fourth-generation test, according to the study. Quarterly testing, as well as rapid point-of-care tests, meanwhile, were not cost-effective for that population.—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference

Hutchinson AB, Farnham PG, Sansom SL, Yaylali E, Mermin JH. Cost-effectiveness of frequent HIV testing of high risk populations in the United States. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 2015 September 8. [Epub ahead of print].