Screening for HIV infection in a man with a serious productive cough falls under which level of disease prevention?

• A. Primary
• B. Secondary
• C. Tertiary
• D. Quaternary

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that screening tests are a form of secondary prevention: the goal is to detect a disease early, or even before it causes significant symptoms, so that treatment can begin promptly to slow progression and reduce transmission. Screening for HIV in someone who presents with a productive cough fits this pattern because it aims to uncover an infection early enough to start antiretroviral therapy and link the person to care, rather than preventing the infection from occurring in the first place or managing established disease.

Primary prevention would involve stopping the infection from happening in the first place (such as safe-sex practices or PrEP), not identifying it after someone develops symptoms. Tertiary prevention focuses on reducing complications and rehabilitation after a disease has already caused damage. Quaternary isn’t the standard framework for this scenario.