HIV Testing

Understanding HIV, Prevention, Care, and Treatment

Making the decision to get tested for HIV may be extremely difficult. The following information will hopefully provide basic information about HIV testing and increase awareness of the need to be tested.

The only way to definitely know, your HIV status is to take an HIV – antibody test. This is important to note, because you may look and feel healthy and be infected with HIV.

You don’t know enough about HIV if you don’t know your own HIV status.

Why should I get tested?

People are tested for HIV for various reasons. Maybe you have been sexually active or participated in some other risk behavior (i.e. drug use, multiple sex partners, etc.). Maybe you are preparing to begin a new relationship and have decided that you and your partner want to be tested together. Whatever your reason may be, below are other reasons that people are tested for HIV:

• Had sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal) without a condom
• Learned that a partner was not monogamous
• Have been sexually assaulted or raped
• Had a condom break
• Shared needles or syringes to inject drugs (including steroids) or for body piercing, tattooing, or any other reason
• Had multiple sex partners
• Found out that a partner has shared needles
• Learned that a past or current partner is HIV-positive
• Discovered that a partner has been exposed to HIV (i.e. occupational exposure, one of his/her former partner tested positive, etc.)
• Had a recent diagnosis of another sexually transmitted disease or suspect you may have one.
• Are pregnant

When should I get tested?

If you have any reason to believe that you may have been exposed to HIV, it is important that you contact a doctor or health care provider to receive HIV counseling and testing. The prior statement is the Golden Rule for getting tested; however, it is important to know a little more about how HIV actually detected.

In cases of occupational exposure, exposure through sexual assault, or discovery that a recent or current sexual partner or needle-sharing partner is HIV-positive, you should be tested immediately to establish a baseline HIV status. Tests are recommended at baseline, six weeks, three months, and six months to provide a confirmatory HIV-negative test result.

Remember getting tested for HIV does not stop HIV infection it only notifies you to when you were possibly infected. To prevent HIV infection practice abstinence, monogamy, safer sex, and don’t share needles.

What is an HIV test?

An HIV or AIDS test refers to an HIV-antibody test. HIV-antibody tests detect antibodies found in blood, oral fluid, or urine. The only fluid that can infect another person among these three is blood. These antibodies can be detected after the window period, which may be as early as 30 days after infection.

What types of tests are available?

An array of HIV test technologies exist, many of which are less-invasive methods of testing. In the State of Missouri, testing is collected through blood or oral fluid testing.

• Blood tests require that approximately 7ml of blood drawn from the individual.
• Orasure® is currently the only FDA approved oral-fluid test, and has been proven to be more than 99% accurate.
• The newest technology available in HIV testing is rapid testing, which requires only a drop of blood (needle-stick) and can produce results in 20 minutes, versus the 1-2 week waiting period required with other testing methods. These rapid HIV blood tests are only screening tests that require an additional confirmatory test before a diagnosis of HIV infection can be given. Traditional blood tests and Orasure® provide both a screening and confirmatory test.

What is the Window period?

The window period is the time from infection with HIV until antibodies are detected. This means if you have had unprotected sex or shared needles on January 1, it is likely that enough antibodies would have developed enough antibodies to test positive four weeks later. Each person’s body responds to HIV infection a little differently, so the window period varies from person to person. Most people, who have been infected with HIV, will test positive for HIV within 3 –6 months of infection.

What does an HIV negative/positive test result mean?

A positive test result means that your body is making HIV antibodies. The fact that the antibodies were found, indicate that you are infected with HIV. It does not mean that you have AIDS and will get sick soon.

A negative test result means no HIV antibodies were found in your body at this time. However, you may have been exposed to HIV within the last six months and your body has not had time to develop enough antibodies to be detectable. Consider being retested in a few months.

What is the difference between anonymous and confidential testing?

Anonymous testing uses codes to identify your test. Your name is never used. You use the code to get your results. You are the only person who knows your results. If the test result is positive you will be offered case management services, and then you will be requested to provide your name and other information to enroll. Anonymous testing is available at the following locations:

• Center for Metropolitan HIV/AIDS Services in the St. Louis City Health Department
• Kansas City Health Department
• Springfield/Greene Health Department
• Columbia/Boone County Health Department

Confidential testing uses your name. Your name and other identifying information (e.g. phone number and address) are attached to your test results, but are kept private. If found to be HIV infected, positive test results are reported to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and case management services will be offered.

All testing results are provided only to the client, to ensure that results are maintained private.

To locate HIV testing sites across the nation go to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s national database of HIV testing sites. http://www.hivtest.org/

What is the cost of an HIV test?

HIV counseling and testing services vary in cost depending on where the service is being provided, however publicly funded counseling and testing services are provided at no cost to the recipient.

Where can I get tested for HIV?

• HIV counseling and testing may be provided a number of traditional and nontraditional settings such as:
• Adolescent health clinics, school-based health centers, university health centers
• AIDS services organizations
• Clinics serving men who have sex with men
• Community-based organizations
• Community health centers
• Correctional facilities
• Drug or alcohol prevention an treatment programs
• Family planning clinics
• Freestanding HIV test sites
• Hospital emergency departments
• Hospitals/other urgent care centers
• Managed care organizations
• Men’s health clinics
• Migrant health centers
• Occupational/employee health clinics
• Outreach programs
• Prenatal clinics
• Private-sector service providers
• Publicly funded counseling and testing sites
• Sexually transmitted disease clinics
• Tuberculosis clinics
• Women’s health clinics

Not all publicly funded HIV counseling and testing takes place a local health department, however the local health departments are aware of where other publicly funded testing occurs. To locate a publicly funded counseling and testing site contact the local health department that serves your county.

In St. Louis Region (Franklin County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County, St. Charles County, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Warren County) contact the Center for Metropolitan HIV/AIDS Services in the St. Louis City Health Department at (314) 612-5188 or visit their website at: http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/health/testing.html

In Kansas City Region (Bates County, Benton County, Cass County, Clay County, Henry County, Jackson County, Johnson County, Lafayette County, Platte County, and Ray County) contact the AIDS Hotline for the Kansas City Health Department at (816) 513-AIDS (2437).

In the Northwest Region (Andrew County, Atchinson County, Buchanan County, Caldwell County, Carroll County, Clinton County, Davies County, Dekalb County, Gentry County, Grundy County, Harrison County, Holt County, Livingston County, Mercer County, Nodaway County, and Worth County) contact the St. Joseph/Buchanan County Health Department at (816) 271-4725.

In the North Central Region (Adair County Audrain County, Boone County, Callaway County, Camden County, Chariton County, Clark County, Cole County, Cooper County, Gasconade County, Howard County, Knox County, Lewis County, Linn County, Macon County, Marion County, Miller County, Maries County, Monroe County, Monteau County, Montgomery County, Morgan County, Osage County, Pettis County, Pike County, Putnam County, Randolph County, Ralls County, Saline County, Schulyer County, Scotland County, Shelby County, Sullivan County) contact the Boone County Health Department at (573) 874-7355 or visit their website at:
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Health/Clinic_and_Nursing/STD/

In the Southwest Region (Barry County, Barton County, Cedar County, Christian County, Dade County, Dallas County, Dent County, Douglas County, Greene County, Hickory County, Howell County, Jasper County, Lawrence County, McDonald County, Newton County, Oregon County, Ozark County, Phelps County, Polk County, Pulaski County, St. Clair County, Shannon County) contact the Springfield/Greene County Health Department at (417) 864-1686.

In the Southeast Region (Bollinger County, Butler County, Cape Girardeau County, Carter County, Crawford County, Dunklin County, Iron County, Madison County, Mississippi County, New Madrid County, Pemiscot County, Perry County, Reynolds County, Ripley County, St. Francois County, Ste Genevieve County, Scott County, Stoddard County, Washington County, Wayne County) contact the St. Francois County Health Department at (573) 686-5283. If no one answers, leave a message, and you will receive a call back.