GET TESTED- HIV TESTING WEEK

[candy]

Hey everyone....

It is HIV testing week and for anyone who injects, engages in risky sexual behavior, or for those who have not been tested and have been at risk at one time......Now is the time to go get tested!

I realize it can be a scary subject and for some, not knowing seems like a better alternative, but it's not!

As an HIV counselor and your resident nurse, anyone with any questions or concerns is invited to send me a message and discuss your concerns! If you don't feel comfortable posting in the forums, send me a PM and we can discuss it on your terms! And confidentiality is always enforced....So if you do send me a PM, please know that I would never share anything on the forum with anyone. I want to respect the privacy of anyone that wants to share their concerns or thoughts with me.

So with that said....If you have not been tested, Go do it now!!!!! And if you have in the past, but feel you have been at risk, get tested again!

Remember to get tested for Hep C as well. Most clinics or testing sites can test for both HIV/HCV and there are new tests that can give you results in less than an hour.

I will post some information on locating sites for testing! Please let me know if anyone needs any additional information.

I want everyone happy and healthy!!!!!

[lucas45862]

Got Tested a month a go for everything. The doctor said i have a clean slate!:D

[HistoryofMadness]

How do I know if my state has mandatory public reporting? I've heard that some states (Alabama comes to mind) require the doctor to report positives to the state health dept. True?

[candy]

The best thing to do is check your states policies and regulations regarding confidentiality.

And when you go for testing it depends on whether you take a "Confidential" or "Anonymous" test.

Confidential testing, your name and contact info is given and positive results are put into your medical record and sent to the state Department of Health(DOH) and then onto your local DOH. They may contact you to get more info and depending on which state you live in, they may require names of your partners in order that they be contacted if you were to test positive. That law in itself varies from state to state.

Anonymous testing consists of being given a code number. This does not become part of your medical records and is not used to access any HIV related resources. In order to receive resources in the event you are positive, your name and contact info is kept confidential.

Some states are now requiring that anyone who tests positive must use their name and contact information so that they can be tracked. This information is still kept confidential and is part of your medical records.

One of the main reasons that the reporting of new cases exists is to track who is being affected and why? I know it may sound to many just another way for the government to impede on our privacy, but all the data goes directly to the CDC where they can track the number of new cases and who is at risk.
This is why some states are now mandating that those with a positive result give their name and contact info. They found that those who tested anonymously were less likely to seek medical intervention and get the resources they needed. With the ability of counselors, doctors, or other healthcare workers to follow up on these clients with positive results, they were then able to get them the care they needed and other resources to help them.

As I said, you can check your states Department of Health for it's laws on testing, partner notification laws and other legal issues.

This is also somewhat true for Hep C as well. Positive Hep C cases are sent to the Dept. of Health as well. I don't believe there is a partner notification law regarding Hep C, but I received a letter from the Dept. of Health in my state when I tested pos. for Hep C.

Better to know your status. Unlike HIV, Hep C has a very low transmission rate through sexual contact. With HIV, you may be putting your sexual partners at risk even though you are not sharing needles!

So think about it and if you have anymore questions, please feel free to send me a PM or post on the board.