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Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Rapid HIV Testing

filed under: Smart. Safe. Sex. by Lux Nightmare

I’ve been getting tested for HIV for almost ten years, since before I became sexually active, even. I’ve gotten tested at hospitals, at university health centers, at my doctor’s office, at my work. I’ve done the blood test, I’ve done the oral test, but until last week, I’d never done rapid HIV testing.

Traditionally, an HIV test is done in two parts. During the initial appointment, pre-test counseling is offered, and, depending on the type of test, either blood or saliva is collected. The sample is sent off to a lab, tested for HIV antibodies, and a week later, you return to the testing site to receive your results and post-test counseling.

I didn’t have time to schedule two separate appointments — even fitting one into my schedule was a bit of a stretch — so I figured I’d try out the rapid HIV testing this time. Rapid HIV testing is available at a variety of locations in NYC (including the Department of Health’s free STI clinics). I chose to make an appointment at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, over in Chelsea.

Like the standard one week tests, rapid HIV tests come in two different types: a blood test and an oral test. For the most part, the difference between the two is minimal. Both have high levels of accuracy. The choice will ultimately come down to whether you’re more partial to your spit or your blood (or which is available at the testing center nearest to you).

Callen-Lorde offers the blood test (GMHC, another local health center, offers the oral test). Unlike traditional HIV testing, where blood is drawn from the vein, the rapid HIV test is a finger prick test. A small puncture is made in the finger, and a plastic rod collects a drop of blood, which is then placed in a small vial.

I did my counseling, and then I did the test, and then I went to the waiting room to wait the twenty minutes for my results.

Here is the good thing about rapid HIV testing: you get your results in twenty minutes.

Here is the bad thing about rapid HIV testing: you get your results in twenty minutes.

On the one hand, it’s wonderful to be able to go in, get tested, and get your results, all in one day. If you test negative, you’re spared the week-long “Am I or aren’t I?” agony that tends to accompany traditional HIV testing.

On the other hand: twenty minutes is not a lot of time to really process the impact of receiving HIV results. Especially if you test positive. Especially since a positive test result is not viewed as conclusive: should your rapid HIV test come back positive, you’ll be sent to a lab for follow up testing… which requires the standard week of waiting for results.

I spent my twenty minutes of waiting reading a book, trying not to agonize over the possibility of a positive result. When my test results were in, my counselor came to get me. We walked back to the exam room, where she sat me down and told me that I’d tested negative.

I’m now a fan of rapid HIV testing: the efficiency appeals to me, and I have a hard time seeing myself going back to a week of waiting for results.

For more information on rapid HIV testing near you, visit HIVtest.org.

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