{ "abstract": "Background and Objectives In recent years, Community-Based Voluntary Counselling and Testing (CBVCT) activities have undergone substantial reorganization in response to changes in healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate Counselling and Testing (CT) activities delivered in non-healthcare settings between 2019 and 2025, focusing on the number of tests performed for HIV, as well as on the number of active centers and their geographical distribution.Material and Methods A survey was proposed to national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and third-sector Associations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Information relating to services offered for HIV testing was collected, in terms of number of accesses to CT, the number of HIV rapid tests performed and proportion of reactive results, as well as the percentage of subjects with a reactive result and those then linked to a clinical center. Data were presented at national level and separately according to geographical area (North-West, North-East, Center and South & Islands).Results Sixty-one organizations from all over Italy participated to the survey, offering testing for HIV and other STDs within the period of consideration. Considering that data on 2024 and 2025 are provisional since data collection is still ongoing, 90440 tests for HIV were performed during the investigated period, starting from 10k tests performed in 2019, to reach nearly 15.1 thousand in 2025, with a relevant reduction in 2020 (4.9k tests) and in 2021 (8.6k) due probably to COVID-19 restrictions ( figure 1). Overall, the percentage of reactivity for HIV was 0.53%, (all cases substantially linked to a clinical center for confirmation tests and therapy). The number of associations conducting testing activities has also increased considerably from 2019 to 2025, reaching a total of 59 centers in 2025 (see table 1). Figure 1 shows the number of tests and organizations active in HIV testing, where is evident that during the study period the number of tests performed, and more importantly the number of active organizations, increased sensitively in all Italian areas considered (accounting for provisional data).Conclusions Although the COVID-19 pandemic initially had a negative impact on CBVCT activities, a gradual increase is confirmed in the number of associations performing HIV testing activities, alongside new associations that subsequently started such activities, with a consequent rise in the overall number of tests performed. This trend remains evident in 2024 and 2025, although the data are provisional.* Project supported and financed by General Direction for Health prevention (ref 4023).Abstract SC30 Figure 1Number of tests performed, proportion of reactive tests and number of Associations offering test for HIV in the context of CB settings, by period (panel A) and zone (panel B); (Italy: 2019-2025*)Abstract SC30 Table 1Number of tests performed in community based (CB) settings, reactive tests, reactivity and number of associations offering test for HIV (Italy: 2019-2025*)", "authors": [ { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "E Gennaro" }, { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "C Cimaglia" }, { "affiliations": [ "LILA Milano, Milan, Italy" ], "name": "G Giupponi" }, { "affiliations": [ "Circolo di Cultura Omosessuale Mario Mieli, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "M Farinella" }, { "affiliations": [ "Arcigay, Padua, Italy" ], "name": "I Pennini" }, { "affiliations": [ "Arcobaleno AIDS, Turin, Italy" ], "name": "S Patrucco" }, { "affiliations": [ "Associazione Solidarietà AIDS (ASA), Milan, Italy" ], "name": "M Cernuschi" }, { "affiliations": [ "CARITAS Ambrosiana, Milan, Italy" ], "name": "L Rancilio" }, { "affiliations": [ "CICA, Bergamo, Italy" ], "name": "P Meli" }, { "affiliations": [ "CNCA, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "M Stagnitta" }, { "affiliations": [ "Fondazione Villa Maraini, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "D Masci" }, { "affiliations": [ "Milano Checkpoint, Milan, Italy" ], "name": "N Frattini" }, { "affiliations": [ "Movimento Omosessuale Sardo (MOS), Sassari, Italy" ], "name": "G Moi" }, { "affiliations": [ "Network Persone Sieropostive (NPS) Italia, Milan, Italy" ], "name": "C Nicoara" }, { "affiliations": [ "PLUS, Bologna, Italy" ], "name": "S Mattioli" }, { "affiliations": [ "Checkpoint PLUS Roma, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "F Leserri" }, { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "A Caioli" }, { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "S Leone" }, { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "A Navarra" }, { "affiliations": [ "Ministero della Salute, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "A Caraglia" }, { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "E Girardi" }, { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "P Piselli" }, { "affiliations": [ "INMI L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy", "LILA Milano, Milan, Italy", "Circolo di Cultura Omosessuale Mario Mieli, Rome, Italy", "Arcigay, Padua, Italy", "Arcobaleno AIDS, Turin, Italy", "Associazione Solidarietà AIDS (ASA), Milan, Italy", "CARITAS Ambrosiana, Milan, Italy", "CICA, Bergamo, Italy", "CNCA, Rome, Italy", "Fondazione Villa Maraini, Rome, Italy", "Milano Checkpoint, Milan, Italy", "Movimento Omosessuale Sardo (MOS), Sassari, Italy", "Network Persone Sieropostive (NPS) Italia, Milan, Italy", "PLUS, Bologna, Italy", "Checkpoint PLUS Roma, Rome, Italy", "Ministero della Salute, Rome, Italy" ], "name": "for the Working Group of the project ‘Contribution of the Association to the continuum of care of persons living with HIV and AIDS’*" } ], "title": "SC30 Trend of number of tests for HIV in community-based voluntary counselling and testing (CBVCT) settings in Italy (2019–2025)", "uid": "4fd3e59e-8d88-54c7-972a-ed7890541bcf" }