Frequently Asked Questions

Why should someone be tested for HIV?
Information is power. In the case of HIV, information can save your life because, with advances in HIV treatment, the sooner you get medical care, the better.

Where can I be tested?
At AIDS Community Services. Rapid testing is done by appointment or during walk-in testing hours. See our sites and schedules below

Who should be tested for HIV?
Anyone who:

Is sexually active and does not know their own HIV status or the HIV status of his/her partners.
Uses injected drugs.
Has body piercing or tattoos.
Has sexually transmitted diseases (STD's).
Women who are pregnant or who are thinking about getting pregnant.
Men who are thinking about fathering a child.

What can I expect when I get tested?
Upon your arrival, testing specialist will provide pre-test counseling to you. This counseling includes information about the test, explanation of the consent form, and general HIV/AIDS information. A detailed history of risk behaviors will be gathered.

The counselor assistant will then administer the simple test, using a single finger prick. Your results will be available in as little as 20 minutes. Post-test counseling will be given with your results, and will include information about staying healthy, need for re-testing if applicable, and if the test results are positive, the next steps for medical care and available services at AIDS Community Services. The entire testing process will take approximately 40 minutes.

Why do I need to sign a consent form and have counseling when I get HIV-tested?
For one thing, it's the law in New York State. But there are other reasons for the consent form - the consent form protects you:

It reassures you that you cannot be tested unless you give permission.
It keeps HIV testing voluntary - HIV testing is your choice.
It makes sure you get information about testing, what the results mean and the need for repeat testing, if applicable.

What does testing tell me?
Even though the rapid test is correct 99.6% of the time, if the rapid test comes back positive, you will be given a confirmatory blood test on-site. If positive, it means you have HIV infection and you can infect others. A Counselor will discuss medical services available both on-site and throughout the surrounding area, so you can decide the best course of action for the medical care you will need.

If you test negative, it means you most likely do not have detectable antibodies to the HIV virus at that point in time. However, it can take as long as 3 months after exposure for an HIV test to detect the virus, so you may need to be tested again 3-6 months after your first test if a risk exposure has taken place up to 3 months prior to being tested.

How often should I be tested?
It depends…everybody is different. If you had unprotected sex with someone, and did not know that person's HIV status, you should be tested as soon as possible and again about 3 months later. The counseling you receive with HIV testing will give you information about how to prevent HIV infection with condoms, for example. People do not need to be tested as often when they use condoms correctly, or use low risk practices with all partners.

What happens to the results of my test?
They are kept confidential. It's the law in New York State. You are the only person who can give permission to give your test results to anyone else. We can help you decide whom to tell and when, if necessary.

In New York State, the decision about whom to tell is yours. There are a few exceptions to this. For example, we must report any positive test results to the NY State Health Department. See the Q and A below about Name Reporting/ Partner Notification.

We may also notify the following organizations or doctors about your HIV status:

Your health insurance provider or Medicaid.
Another doctor who is providing medical care to you.

What is the Name Reporting/Partner Notification Law?
In 2000, HIV infection (being HIV-positive) became a reportable disease in New York State. In the past, only the disease AIDS was reported by name - being HIV positive was not.

This new Public Health Law says that this reporting must be done by name. The reasons for this law are:

It encourages the person testing positive to tell other people who have been exposed through sex or needles so that they can be tested for HIV also.
It allows the Health Department to track the HIV epidemic, so that they can give funding and prevention education to the people who need it most.