Study Finds That African-American College Students Are Seven Times as Likely as Their White Counterparts to Be Tested for HIV

A study by researchers at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health found that college students are generally knowledgeable about the risks of HIV infection. But the study also found that students are less informed on the accuracy of HIV-testing techniques. Most HIV tests search for the antibodies that the body produces to combat the infection. But it can take three to six months for the antibodies to appear. During this time, HIV can still be transmitted to sexual partners.

The study found that African-American college students scored higher than white students on questionnaires measuring their knowledge of AIDS and HIV. The results also showed that African-American college students were seven times more likely than white college students to be tested for HIV.