Establishing an HIV Screening Program Led by Staff Nurses in a County Jail.

Context: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in jails provides an opportunity to reach individuals outside the scope of traditional screening programs. The rapid turnover of jail populations has, in the past, been a formidable barrier to offering routine access to testing.

Objective: To establish an opt-out, rapid HIV testing program, led by nurses on the jail staff, that would provide undiagnosed yet infected detainees opportunities to learn their status regardless of their hour of entry and duration of stay.