In a male patient with new-onset psoriatic arthritis or reactive arthritis, which test is recommended?

• A. HIV Test
• B. Rheumatoid Factor
• C. Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
• D. ANA

Answer: (A)

Screening for HIV should be part of the initial workup for a man with new-onset inflammatory arthritis such as psoriatic or reactive arthritis. HIV infection can present with joint symptoms and, more importantly, its presence changes how you approach treatment. Immunosuppressive therapies used for inflammatory arthritis, including biologics, can worsen untreated HIV infection and complicate management, so knowing HIV status guides both infectious risk assessment and therapeutic choices.

Other tests listed—RF, ANA, or Hepatitis B surface antigen—are part of broader rheumatologic evaluation, but they don’t have the same immediate impact on safety and management decisions in this specific scenario as HIV testing does.