OBJECTIVES:

To test the feasibility of obtaining HIV test results by home collection kit from a probability telephone sample of men who have sex with men (MSM).

METHODS:

A quota sample of 615 MSM previously interviewed by the Urban Men's Health Study phone survey in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco were re-contacted and offered an HIV test using an oral specimen (Orasure) home collection kit.

RESULTS:

Eighty percent consented to be mailed a kit, and 84% returned a specimen, for a 67% participation rate. All self-reported HIV-positive persons tested positive (77 of 77); 4 of 266 (1.5%) with a prior negative test and 2 of 69 (2.9%) with no prior positive HIV test result. Participation was associated with self-reported prior HIV test status-HIV-positive (83%), HIV-negative (68%), or no prior HIV test result (54%)-and marginally associated with New York City residence after adjustment for HIV status (odds ratio = 0.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.1; p =.08).

CONCLUSIONS:

These results suggest that urban MSM identified and interviewed by telephone will participate in home collection HIV testing. This methodology could be used to produce population-based estimates of HIV seroprevalence and seroincidence in MSM and could probably be extended to other populations and other viral infections.