Interested in finding out how you can get tested?

Planned Parenthood offers free testing on Wednesdays from 9am- 12pm at the clinic.
The number is 352-377-0881. No appointments are needed.

The clinic is located at 914 NW 13th St,
on the southwest corner of N.W. 10th Ave and N.W. 13th St.

www.plannedparenthood.org

The phone number for the Health Department is 352-334-7960
The Heath Department schedules appointments Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.

HIV Testing and Counseling Services

Important Information about the HIV Antibody Test

The test is not a test for AIDS, but a test for the antibodies to HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS.

-Talk to a trained, experienced, counselor/professional before deciding whether to be tested.
-If you decide to be tested, do so only at a center that provides both pre- and post-test counseling.
-Know the difference between confidential and anonymous testing (see Definitions below).
-A positive test result is NOT a diagnosis of AIDS. It does mean that you should seek medical evaluation and early treatment.
-A positive test result DOES mean you can infect others and you should avoid risky or unsafe sexual contact and needle/syringe sharing for injecting drugs.
-It can take 6 months (and sometimes longer) after infection to develop antibodies. Therefore you must wait 6 months after the last risky behavior before having an HIV test to reduce the likelihood of a false negative result.
-A negative test result can mean one of two things: either the person has not contracted HIV, or the person has contracted the virus but has not yet developed antibodies in detectable amounts.
-Whether the test result is positive or negative, the best protection is to have no sex or safer sex with fewer partners.
-Avoid sharing injection needles or syringes for any reason.

You might want to consider being tested if…

...you have a reason to think you have been infected (or have a high risk of being infected) with HIV. Early treatment of persons with HIV delays the development of serious symptoms.
...the knowledge of your test result, either positive or negative, will help you adopt safer sex practices or stop sharing needles or syringes.
...you are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant, breast feeding or fathering a child.
...you will be required to undergo mandatory testing (e.g. for military service, Foreign Service, Job Corps application). Since mandatory test results will become part of a permanent record, you might want to receive anonymous testing and counseling first.
...you are involved in a long term monogamous relationship and would like to stop using condoms.

Anonymous testing: The only way to guarantee that you control the test results is through an anonymous test. Most states have anonymous test sites, where your name is NOT taken and no personal identifier is used. Usually, you are given a number that you must present in person to obtain the result. The only people who will know the result are those whom you decide to tell.

Confidential testing: The result of such a test are protected information like other parts of your medical record. However, your result may be disclosed with your permission for insurance or employment screening, or accidentally by someone with access to your records. The policies of health care clinicians, clinics, and hospitals vary in their approach to recording HIV antibody test results. Find out what the policy is before getting tested. State laws vary on the reporting requirements for test results. Some states require that the names of people who tested positive for HIV be reported to the state public health department. In some states, the health department does “contact tracing” to identify the sexual or needle-sharing partners of people with HIV infection. It is important for you to know the reporting laws and practices of the testing site in Connecticut.

Oral HIV Tests

Photo courtesy of www.yale.edu

What is it?	Oral HIV tests, an alternative to blood tests, available at some health clinics. A tissue sample is taken by swabbing the inside of the patient's mouth. No needles or blood is involved. Antibodies to HIV are drawn from the oral mucosa. OraSure is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved company that manufactures oral HIV tests.
How Accurate are the Results?	It's accuracy in detecting the HIV antibody is more than 99%. Note that this test is done to detect the presence of HIV antibodies, not the virus itself.
How does it compare to a blood test?	The purpose of the oral HIV test is the same as that of the HIV blood test - to detect the presence of HIV antibodies, but the method of sampling is different: oral mucosa vs. blood. The Oral HIV test is as accurate as the blood test.