Test seeking: are healthcare professionals referring people to blood centers for infections marker testing?

10-year analysis of human immunodeficiency virus incidence in first-time and repeat donors in Brazil

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Incidence in first-time and repeat blood donors is an important measure of transfusion-transmitted HIV infection (TT-HIV) risk. This study assessed HIV incidence over time at four large blood centres in Brazil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Donations were screened and confirmed using serological assays for HIV from 2007 to 2016, and additionally screened by nucleic acid testing from 2011 forward. Limiting antigen (LAg) avidity testing was conducted on HIV seroreactive samples from first-time donors to classify whether an infection was recently acquired. We calculated incidence in first-time donors using the mean duration of recent infection and in repeat donors using classical methods. Time and demographic trends were assessed using Poisson regression.

RESULTS

Over the 10-year period, HIV incidence in first-time donors was highest in Recife (45·1/100 000 person-years (10⁵ py)) followed by São Paulo (32·2/10⁵ py) and then Belo Horizonte (23·3/10⁵ py), and in repeat donors was highest in Recife (33·2/10⁵ py), Belo Horizonte (27·5/10⁵ py) and São Paulo (17·0/10⁵ py). Results from Rio de Janeiro were available from 2013 to 2016 with incidence in first-time donors of 35·9/10⁵ py and repeat donors from 2011 to 2016 of 29·2/10⁵ py. Incidence varied by other donor demographics. When incidence was considered in 2-year intervals, no significant trend was evident. Overall residual risk of TT-HIV was 5·46 and 7·41 per million units of pRBC and FFP transfused, respectively.

CONCLUSION

HIV incidence in both first-time and repeat donors varied by region in Brazil. Clear secular trends were not evident.

High prevalence of blood donor test-seeking behavior among health sciences undergraduate students

INTRODUCTION

This study investigated the prevalence of blood donors’ test-seeking behavior and related factors among health sciences undergraduate students.

METHODS

A total of 750 students were invited. Data regarding sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics, blood donation practices, and test-seeking behavior were collected.

RESULTS:

Of the invited students, 341 (45.5%) agreed to participate and answered questions regarding test-seeking behavior. The sample comprised 83.1% females, 96.8% singles, 87.2% heterosexuals, and 32.6% of them had previously donated blood. A high prevalence of blood donor test-seeking behavior (14.4%; 95% CI: 10.8%-18.5%) was observed and associated with blood donation practices.

CONCLUSIONS:

Test-seeking behavior was common among the interviewed students, thereby highlighting the importance of developing a better understanding of its determinants to prevent this behavior in key populations.