Testing Behaviour

Testing Behaviour

Just over one-quarter of Canadians (27 per cent) indicate that they have been tested for HIV, excluding testing for insurance, blood donation and participation in research.

Those who have been tested were asked how often they have been tested for HIV/AIDS in the past two years. Four in ten (42 per cent) have not been tested in the past two years, while a similar number (38 per cent) have been tested once in the past two years, and 18 per cent have been tested two times or more.

Individuals who have been tested for HIV were also asked where they had their most recent test conducted. Most have had their most recent test conducted in a doctor's office (63 per cent have). One in ten (10 per cent) have had their most recent test at a sexual health clinic, and seven per cent at an anonymous clinic. Close to two in ten (19 per cent) had their most recent test performed somewhere other than these locations.

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• A higher proportion of those who are currently sexually active reported being tested for HIV (32 per cent versus 14 per cent among the non-sexually active). Also, percentage of Canadians being tested is higher among individuals reporting casual partners (45 per cent). This percentage increases with the number of partners as well, with 30 per cent of individuals with one partner saying that they were tested, rising to 41 per cent among those with two partners and 51 per cent among those with three partners.
  
• Women are somewhat more likely than men to have been tested at some point (29 per cent versus 24 per cent). Canadians aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 are also more likely to have been tested (46 per cent and 35 per cent respectively), as are those with younger children (45 per cent) and those who know someone with HIV/AIDS (35 per cent).
  
• Those with high perceived or actual knowledge (30 per cent), a high level of comfort with people with HIV/AIDS (34 per cent) and who are less likely to distance themselves from HIV/AIDS (33 per cent) are also more likely to indicate that they have been tested for HIV/AIDS.
  
• Those with high school education or less are less likely to have ever been tested (23 per cent have).
  
• Of those who have been tested, however, it is youth who are most likely to have been tested once or more in the past two years (91 per cent have), which fits with the profile of youth as having multiple and casual partners more often.
  
• The number of tests reported by individuals with casual partners and those with two and three partners is also higher than reported for their counterparts. For example, 1.51 tests were reported for those with casual partners, compared with .86 tests reported for those without casual partners.
  
• Residents from Quebec, men, those with no children, and individuals born outside Canada are more likely to have had their most recent test performed at a sexual health clinic.