FEATU RES november A2001 = OITN - 17 c0Test orN0t toTest: Will the.New Oral HIV Tes Prve Irresistable? By Mar Ilaor-A .. If you haveteveri soughtv outfan anonAyjrnousAAA_ . 'sfit',.' you toba ly g gthe,.1fA:su remember’ some anxious moments._ Perhaps; they incAluded.tl1e experience of A1VIY:vYes,AA.abso being stuck with a needleand watchingv your blood flow into ‘a-I-vial, For A A AA A many of us, the anxiety of learning one’s -status is spread actossthe clays and _ A sometimes weeks preceding the results- '_Fo'rtU.IA13télY, tAirIi€AS’AdCi ’Cha1'A1jgé.._A . A For‘ those seeking an anonymous test today,fAH A testing has”made.ian 'incre— A mental leap forward in Corrlfottand co1nAVer_1ién?ie.'AA7A7A ’ At 7 Over the past several months, AIDS/-service organizations and oth_er.fcom-A munity agencies across -Vermont have begunziadministeringia AArAi.6WA'oral HIV t_Aest.. A This test no longeAr.requir'es »a’ lab visit. InA fact, Aiti can be /done almost anywhere. A 3 Most of the_participatingAorganiza A‘ . f ‘ ir;of ces?;orA' — and this .is.ne’w_’—V at at si:eof.At1 _ " and blood’—phob"i’c,. g'AoodAne‘wsA:-tAhe’re.A.is-no bl d H cedure in which -cells are collectedifrotrr swab. ‘Though the Aresujs 'oAffAt'Ahe te available within a week or: so7afteAAr testing A- , Out in the Mountains wanted to fit1_(1A'0ut more abou th commercial name giventhis newAprocedureA,{andA i A H those of us. with 1‘ HIV “concerns. We calleAAd“fonyDavidA‘ the jAre:cent_ly_ :A appointed Executive Director at Vermont y-’LivAingst_on, Progi~_aAmij ‘ A Director of Prevention for Vermont CARES, AA ansvverA‘our"_queAstio AA ‘ ‘ l ' AA new procedure. VeArrnontACARES has been 0 H ‘A VA Ag A_ _ g A ' Béfievé me A.II testing to Vermont; We sat down with Davidgandv recently at their 0 A‘ aI'1d’=a~f indo_wntown‘Burlin'gton. A A At ’ ' ' ‘ A ‘ A J: A 1 A ' ' A TAKING ‘ A. I _ _ t ~tij1irikAing’abjoutthe tiskstliey takein theiAr.AA t A ‘ . ’ A " ’ - _ _ ' .A AA lives. —So7it isgprobably:the'best...tirne for OAITM: Amy, so tell us about the new I V A: A V A ,. A 1 A ‘ us ;t_o ;be,;ab1e to. reach out and help test, including how we can get tested. ' ‘ . §.—' A" A ' Ii , ._ _. meone iidejntify choices; that -they can AMY: ‘To get tested,A you would start ' ' AA A AA ‘ ltejabouttheit hea. A by; calling one of our. offices and making A ' " A AA ' AA ‘ A AA ' , an appointment with a staff person who . inAtAo-the. communitfwhe has been trained to adn1inAsterAAtheAtest;A _ A. . A H _ i . . __ ( _ _ ' , t __ Since this is an anonymous Atest,‘AyAou . ‘ A V ' A ' A , .A AA oiyou "this test, should don’t give your namevt-when you call. A ‘A ' j 1 _ g A * ' _ A'aA"popularAA alternative to Later, when we meet for thegappointg A ‘ ' A" A ‘A A ment — and we Vrneet Awithithe testAtal_ks more AA package containirigthe‘ A5fswAab'_ ,.3..n_ and holA__.‘it there A ‘about’ 1-,)‘ the swat; ’e.roAAaA contz V pointjwe Sétilp a tirtiei numbe_rA identifying itheirjtes tl1'ernA-to receive the results,‘ lowingthe test. A _ _A _ g M . A OITM: A at’sga=preAtAty’ quick rturnaroundA. So_AhowAmuAchvdoes the test co g A It’s completely free-i;to_the‘ test take‘rg.The Depamnent ‘of. Health [DO__Hl { 3 . now pays all the costs associated with anonymous tests}~’oial-and blood 6 test_As:- done AA in ; the state. ‘ognsw there is nosolicitation or 5. iectation of any kinclfor payrnent, _.; A 1 ' t ' ” ~ OIT M: You meanfree; 'a_ndAguilt—free, testing?» OAITM: so, hows the new program going? Have you ihadfla lotjofpeople‘ Asign-_ " 5 ins upfor the n.eWteSt?y A ‘ A i l A [I T ’ AMY; We’ve had ,a good’ response. I tl1in_lg"peopleAappreciategAth “Aflexib ity. of choosingAwhere’_"theyAAcan= talA:e'theA_;teA'st. Theinofre nf get _;tl1iS“Ate.SA_tAo1j1t W110. }.1.3‘A’Ae“AA-”.3..e;A’~7?‘