Health : Confidential HIV Testing
Since 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended HIV testing for all Americans. Ten years later, HIV testing rates are still low, especially in young men who are at highest risk for HIV in the US. Approximately 81% of new HIV infections are in men, and the highest number of cases occurs in those 20-29 years of age. The CDC reports that 15 to 39 year-old men visit a physician’s office 1.5 times a year on average, yet only 1% of these visits include a HIV test. This translates to millions of American men going untested and not knowing their status. For men who do have HIV, lack of awareness means delayed HIV care and treatment, which is linked to worse outcomes. It could also mean unwittingly transmitting HIV to partners.
Health care providers should be talking to you about your sexual health and offering a HIV test, and if they don’t, you have the right to ask for one. If you want more information on where to obtain free, fast, and confidential testing, click here or type (https://gettested.cdc.gov)
Remember, regular HIV testing is part of being healthy- just do it!
Ramona Bhatia, MD MS
Supervising Physician
Nice reminder of the reality we live in.
I only wish, “Remember, regular HIV testing is part of being healthy – just do it!” was in bold caps.
The correlation between the number of physician visits without HIV testing and “millions of American men going untested” is not necessarily true. Many of these men may be getting tested at HIV/AIDS agencies that do it for no cost vs paying ridiculous fees to have their Doctor’s office send it out to unknown labs who do God knows what with their data. A test at an agency also gives immediate results, whereas a testing lab can take up to two weeks. Additionally, if someone wants truly “confidential” testing many agencies don’t require proof of identification. Your Doctor’s office already knows who you are.
Eric: here are the sources : Ham DC, Huang Y, Gvetadze R, Peters PJ, Hoover KW. Health Care Use and HIV Testing of Males Aged 15–39 Years in Physicians’ Offices — United States, 2009–2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:619–622.
The doctors are already doing several blood tests at the annual physicals, they should just add HIV testing into the mix. Seems easy enough to Mr.
If you can afford it, many drugstores sell at-home tests. Costs about $40 and takes about 10-15 minutes. They’re a good first step, but if your results are equivocal or positive you should follow up with a professionally administered test.
So the data is at best 4 years old and at worst 7? In medicine 4 years can be very out of date. Especially since prep was approved in July 2012 and likely increased testing rates substantially in the years that followed. Not saying the data is false, but the point should be made they collected the numbers just before a major change in testing and treatment of non hiv patients. Regular testing, and access to free testing, makes a huge difference. And free tests are not always done at the doctor…I saw instant tests being offered at pride. Here in Minnesota, there is a group that offers free tests at gay bars on certain nights. These stats arent included but clearly the testing rates are higher than the article makes it seem.
Eric’s point is valid and providing sources doesn’t change that. There are many reasons getting tested by your doctor is less appealing than a confidential testing site. One may be insurance related. I’ve heard that once you’re on record as poz, insurance tries to ditch you. I have no idea if that’s true but I’d like to hear accurate info about that. It’s one reason I test anonymously. So if I were to get a poz result I could then investigate on my terms how to proceed without getting screwed over.
How is it confidential , if there is a “reaction”, the health department is calling or showing up on your door step within two weeks, they know your phone number , address,social security if you provided on form and other personal information. They want your Dr name and they call your doctor some give them info some don’t so much for HIPPA. Get a home test.
I get regularly tested as I on Truvada (PrEP) and that requires regular testing. Before going on Truvada, I never worried about “my data” or the like if I had tested positive, as I would have the same insurance pay for the needed meds and it would be out anyway. (And I paid for health insurance out-of-pocket for several years – some of the time as a temp and the cost was the same as my rent – so I understand firsthand on the costs.) I now work for a company in the top ten of the Fortune 500 and they are extremely LGBT friendly and have no qualms about getting tested through work, but I understand why someone would not want to, but what would you do if you test positive and need medication? Not take meds? Or would someone not get tested in fear of testing positive?
For me, it is more about protecting my own health – PrEP for being negative and, if tested positive, starting the medicine to help me get to a zero viral load and hopefully stave off any progression from HIV positive to AIDS. Until there is a cure or vaccine, I have to watch for my own well-being.
I agree that HIV testing (and STD testing) should be part of a regular exam for everyone and if more and more people get tested openly, then any retaliation – open or hidden – would then become open as well and that company or person would be in called out publicly for it and penalized.
not true guys. there is no confidential testing unless you’re using a home kit. once you tested positive.your results are immediately transferred to CDC and your information is recorded. However, by law, it has to remain completely private and if someone discloses it, you can take a legal action as doing so is against the law. With this said, go get tested, you will possibly save your life
can you tell me what HIV undected is if someone tells me that, I really do not understand it???
mactom49 : “undetectable” is the right term. Check out this link it gives the right definition : http://avi.org/page/viral-load
can you tell me what HIV undected is if someone tells me that, I really do not understand it???
I have not gotten an answer yet????????????????
I checked the Health Resources link on A4A calling the getstdtested toll free number but it forwarded me to a “you’ve won a Walmart gift card” answering service and couldn’t get anyone on the line. Wanted to let you know so you can check it out and update the number. I did get tested through another site, all negative results. Glad I did.
Olympia Washington has PCAF and Mpowerment Washington. They provide free anonymous hiv testing and prevention resources and education.
The Affordable Care Act imfamously branded Obama Care, prohibits cancelling coverage due to illness. Also pre-existing conditions can NOT be used to exclude you from health insurance coverage. There’s an election in November and your vote counts. Every vote counts. If you don’t vote you only have yourself to blame for the results.
If the doctors are really so concerned about your health, then why dont they talk at all about prevention and responsibilty..oh that right, they get paid ridiculous sums of money to get you to come back to their offices for more visits for reasons that they justify as prevention, but never talk prevention…ironic. health care is an industry that makes NO MONEY if they offer cures or sensible behavior. Health CARE requires repeat and return PATIENTS to keep their industry PROFITABLE.
I CAN SAVE YOU MONEY TIME AND YOUR HEALTH.
sensible prevention, sensible responsibility, sensible behavior. That was easy, and didnt cost a dime. 20 seconds of your time to read it. Funny your doctor wont tell you that.
Now i get read the litany and justification for the attack to ” Don’t tell us HOW TO LIVE, BI CLOSETED HATER”….
I tell my kids all the time…DECISIONS have consequences, no matter what, especially bad decisions. Only one person to blame for those decisions you make, and that is you.
The click here link doesn’t work.
Wilchiuk: yes it does, try again.
Sidd. What a stupid statement “once your on record as poz, insurance tries to dump you” one thing that is illegal now and secondly if you do test poz you will need your insurance to pay for your treatment.
Hi Sidd- Thanks to ACA (aka Obamacare) insurance companies can no longer drop you or charge you more based on your medical condition.
Interesting and informative article. But I had the same problem with the test center link. Didn’t seem to work the day I tried it.
Richard: I just tried it and it works…
Bufguy, maybe you should be sure you understand before you start flaming. I was requesting accurate info on that, not stating it. And apparently it was something that used to happen but only now cannot due to ACA. so not stupid at all. A little reading comprehension goes a long way. So does chilling out. Relax.
My doctor, for reasons I do not comprehend, only thinks I need an HIV test every 2-3 years, because I have few sexual partners, and consistently use condoms. I have tried to explain why I want it to be a regular part of my bloodwork, but he is insistent that it would be wasteful for me to be tested more often. I usually end up getting my test at the tent at Pride, or at a testing event at a pride center or gay bar.
I was stupid enough to have unprotected sex with a fool who swore up and down that he was clean and on Prep. As a result I contracted his STDs, and could have very easily goten HIV too. I will never do that again. dont take the word of a stranger, better yet dont have unprotected sex with someone you just met. i wear condoms religiously now, regardless.
i also stopped seeing one guy bc he always tried to find some sneaky way out of using a condom with me, always telling me he was clean, but he never manned up with test results. after a sleepless night, i went to my doc and got tested for everything and came out all clear. gave my buddy a copy and asked him to go get his, when he kept avoiding it, it was over.
why doesn’t anyone ever call out these “bare back only” whores for the filthy men they are, its not homophobic to condemn their risky behavior and insist they use condoms! they are the source of the problem. prep is not protected sex, use a condom, do go buy some, and grow up already.