HIV testing history and positivity among repeat testers and first-time testers in older adults: a descriptive study from Hejiang county, Southwest China, 2018–2025

Background Understanding HIV testing patterns among older adults is critical for optimizing screening strategies, yet detailed descriptions of testing history remain scarce. We leveraged data from a county-wide screening program to characterize testing patterns and HIV positivity among adults aged ≥50 years in southwestern China. Methods We used data from a 2025 county-wide HIV screening program in Hejiang County. Records were linked to a provincial historical database (2018–2024) to classify pa