June-July 1990

 

 

The Testing Consensus Shifts

but that doesn’t mean that the old concems
about testing have simply vanished. Coun-
selors still advise people to consider sev-
eral other factors when contemplating test-
mg

For a gay or bisexual man, the decision
whether or not to have the HIV antibody
test is a difficult and intensely personal one.
Since the test was introduced in 1985, there
has been considerable argument within the
community about the advisability of test-
ing, as people debated the test’s meaning,
the risk of discrimination, and the psycho-
social costs associated with testing.

But in the past year or so, a strong con-
sensus has emerged among those active in
AIDS, gay men’s health, and community
organizations that anyone with a history of
risky sexual or needle-sharing activities
should seriously consider being tested.

AIDS organizations in large cities
have launched publicity campaigns urging
gay men who haven’t yet been tested to re-
consider. Community leaders who were
once hostile to testing now speak publicly
about their own test results and encourage
others to roll up their sleeves. Many testing
centers report a significant increase in the
numbers of gay men utilizing counseling
and testing services.

The reason for this change in attitude
and the impetus for many people seeking
testing are the dramatic advances made re-
cently in the treatmentof AIDS and HIV in-
fection. The advent of drugs such as AZT
and pentamidine to prevent or delay the
onset of serious opportunistic infections
has changed the way many look at testing.

Several years ago, a person testing
positive but without symptoms would be
told that there was little to be done other
than see a doctor regularly and wait for
serious illness to develop. Today, however,
there are studies which indicate that early
intervention may offer the prospect of a
longer, healthier life for a person with HIV.

A person testing positive today would
be advised to seek a knowledgeable health
care provider and to have indicators of
immune system function monitored regu-
larly for early signs of deterioration. If a
person’s T-cell count begins to fall (but
usually before the onset of any noticeable
AIDS-related illness), his health care pro-
vider may suggest beginning anti-viral
therapy (usually AZT), and if it has fallen
lower, beginning specific therapy to pre-
vent the onset of pneumocystis caiinii
pneumonia, one of the most common op-
portunistic infections.

The availability of these therapies pro-
vides a strong argument in favor of testing,

Forconfidenfial

AIDS
Information

The safest way to protect yourself
from possible discrimination is still to be
tested in an anonymous system (such as
that available through the Vermont De-
partment of Health). This will help prevent
disclosure of your test results to anyone
you do not want to have access to them.

Make sure that you understand the test
before you have it done, that you have a
support team of friends to help you deal
with the results, and that you have weighed
the impact either a positive or negative
result would have on your life. Do not let
others pressure you into testing until you
feel you are ready for it.

Unfortunately, for many people the
cost of treatment also may be a factor in
deciding whether or not to test. Someone
without money or insurance may fear the
difficulty of trying to pay for the expensive
tests, doctor’s appointments, and medica-
tions that a positive test necessitates.

These are legitimate concems but
should not prevent someone from taking
the first step of being tested. If you do test
positive, there are programs which help
pay for necessary drugs and providers who
will see you even if you are unable to pay.
AIDS service organizations can help you
find the resources to guarantee that you
have access to the care you need.

The promise of early intervention
presents a powerful argument for anyone
at risk to learn their antibody status. Any-
one seeking more information about test-
ing or looking for help in making a decision
about it should call the Vermont Depart-
ment of Health’s AIDS Hotline at 1-800-
882-2437.

 

Ca"
1-800-882-AIDS

  

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