Uptake of HIV screening in genitourinary medicine after change to "opt-out" consent

Abstract
We examined case notes for 200 consecutive new patients attending genitourinary medicine clinics before August 2001 (100 at each clinic site of the genitourinary medicine department in North Cumbria) for blood tests requested (syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C) and reasons given by the patients for declining screening. Because the rate of HIV testing was less than 60%, opt-out screening was introduced to encourage uptake.