Patterns of HIV Self-Disclosure in the Oncology Setting

Higher rates of cancer treatment toxicity and uniquely poor outcomes following a cancer diagnosis have been reported for persons living with HIV (PLWH). This highlights the importance of active HIV status ascertainment in the oncology setting. Self-disclosure of HIV via electronic questionnaire at patient intake is a low-cost option that has not been thoroughly evaluated. We examined 10 years (2009-2019) of patient intake questionnaire data at Moffitt Cancer Center. Self-disclosure of an HIV diagnosis was not uniform, with 36.1% (n = 299, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 32.8% to 39.4%) of 828 patients disclosing. Identification of HIV through this method was highest for anal cancer patients (66.7%, 95% CI = 57.8% to 74.7%). Self-disclosure among patients with hematopoietic malignancies, the most common diagnosis among PLWH at our institution, was lower (19.4%, 95% CI = 14.6% to 25.0%). Patient characteristics associated with HIV self-disclosure included cancer site, natal gender, and race and ethnicity. Findings highlight gaps to motivate future efforts to increase HIV ascertainment prior to initiating cancer care.