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BCN Checkpoint, a community‐based centre for men who have sex with men in B arcelona, C atalonia, S pain, shows high efficiency in HIV detection and linkage to care
Author(s) -
Meulbroek M,
Ditzel E,
Saz J,
Taboada H,
Pérez F,
Pérez A,
Carrillo A,
Font G,
Marazzi G,
Uya J,
Cabrero J,
Ingrami M,
Marín R,
Coll J,
Pujol F
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
hiv medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.53
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1468-1293
pISSN - 1464-2662
DOI - 10.1111/hiv.12054
Subject(s) - medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , linkage (software) , men who have sex with men , population , demography , family medicine , environmental health , gene , genetics , syphilis , sociology , biology
Objectives We assessed the efficiency of BCN Checkpoint in detecting new cases of HIV infection and efficiently linking newly diagnosed individuals to care. Methods This study analysed during 2007‐2012 the number of tests performed and the number of persons tested in BCN Checkpoint, the HIV prevalence, global and in first visits, the capacity of HIV detection compared to the reported cases in MSM in Catalonia, and the linkage to care rate. Results During the six years a total of 17.319 tests were performed and 618 HIV‐positive cases were detected. Median prevalence of clients who visited the centre for the first time was 5.4% (4.1‐5.8). BCN Checkpoint detected 36.3% (35.0‐40.4) of all reported cases in MSM during 2009‐2011. Linkage to care was achieved directly in 90.5% of the cases and only 2.4% of cases were lost to follow‐up. Conclusions A community‐based centre, addressed to a key population at risk, can be less effort consuming (time and funding) and show high efficiency in HIV detection and linkage to care.