The data were collected in 1992. The participants had all injected drugs or used crack cocaine and had not participated in drug treatment in the previous 30 days. They were all offered free, confidential testing. Fifty-six percent of the participants chose to be tested for HIV antibodies at the time of their first or second interview/counseling session; 77 percent of the participants reported having been tested for HIV before recruitment into the study. However, no drug use practices or demographic characteristics other than gender were associated with HIV testing. Men were more likely to choose HIV testing than were women. Other factors that were not associated with HIV testing included a history of previous HIV testing, perceived susceptibility to HIV infection, and prior experience with medical care. In addition, non-testers were significantly more likely than testers to state that HIV testing had no drawbacks. Therefore, promoting HIV testing in this high-risk population may not promote public health goals unless increased counseling and other services are also provided. Tables and 33 references (Author abstract modified)