Factitious HIV Infection: the Importance of Documenting Infection

This article reports on a case-control study which examined risk factors for factitious HIV infection, & a survey of hosptials in the Boston area to determine their practices for documenting HIV infection. Conclusions: limitations of current serologic tests for HIV, use of anonymous HIV testing, & recent reports of factitious HIV disease of immune deficiency syndromes that may mimic AIDS, underscore the need for clear documentation of HIV infection before medical care is started. (21 Refs.)