Strubco, POZ’s parent company, helped develop the home testing questionnaire that was distributed in POZ and through Community Cardpack and Sapphile (direct response cardpacks sent to a portion of Strubco’s mailing list) as well as numerous community publications in AIDS-affected areas throughout the U.S.

As a marketing study with a significant portion of its distribution based upon a single database of donors and consumers, the survey is far too unscientific to be used to generalize about either the AIDS community’s or the public-at-large’s feelings about home testing. The use of the Strubco mailing list probably means the survey reached people who are more aware of AIDS politics and more affluent than the average American. Furthermore, people who would voluntarily answer such a survey are obviously interested by the survey’s subject -- a likelihood that was encouraged by the questionnaire’s headline, “Help us in the development of a home access HIV test.” Of the more than 14,000 surveys returned, this data reflects 9,984 tabulated thus far.

Respondents

Percentage of those responding who have been tested: 79%
Tested HIV+: 12%

SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Gay/Lesbian: 72%
Bisexual: 8%
Heterosexual: 12%

RACE
White: 80%
Hispanic: 4%
African-American: 4%

SEX
Male: 75%
Female: 18%

HIV Testing Site

ORIGINAL TESTING SITE
Doctor’s Office: 35%
Anonymous Site: 40%
Private Clinic: 22%

Likelihood of Use

WOULD USE HOME TEST
Very or Somewhat Likely for Own Use: 72%
Very or Somewhat Likely Friends Would Use: 85%

What is the likelihood of using the home access test if available when next tested for HIV?

Home Access Test: 50%
Anonymous Site: 19%
Doctor’s Office: 15%
Private Clinic: 5%

What is your strongest reservation about making the HIV home test available to the public?

Accuracy of test: 34%
Telephone counseling: 11%
No reservations: 33%

Communications Technologies, a leading CDC contractor and expert on HIV and AIDS-related survey work, conducted a phone survey of names on Strubco’s database who did not respond to the survey. 1,063 interviews were conducted and the findings have a 95% level of confidence. A nearly identical 34% reported having no reservations about a home access test, 28% were most concerned about the accuracy of the test and 13% the home counseling.