Perceived Everyday Racism, Residential Segregation, and HIV Testing Among Patients at a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic

Despite decreases in mortality because of AIDS, the prevalence of HIV infection in the United States remains high overall, and the proportion of diagnoses among Blacks is increasing.1 Although Blacks represent less than 13 % of the US population, they account for 42 % of prevalent HIV infections and 54 % of annual diagnoses.1 An estimated one fourth of all HIV-infected US residents have not been diagnosed.2 HIV-positive Blacks delay seeking care more, progress to AIDS faster, and die from AIDS sooner than do Whites, underscoring the need to improve HIV screening in this population.3,4 Sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics are an important setting for reaching people a