Free and anonymous HIV antibody
testing is available through the Vermont
Department of Health's AIDS program.
Anyone who is contemplating testing
should give serious consideration to using
this anonymous system.

Being tested through the anonymous
system offers several advantages. It is done
entirely by code number, so your name is
never attached to your test results and you
retain control over who is told of them. All
test results, positive or negative, are given
in person by trained counselors, who can
provide information, support, and referrals.
It also has the obvious advantage of being
free of charge.

The first step to getting tested through
the anonymous system is to call the Ver-
mont AIDS hotline (1-800-882-2437),
where a counselor will talk with you about
the pros and cons of being tested and help
you assess yourpersonal risk. If you wantto
be tested, he or she will explain the testing
system to you and give you the phone
number of the test site(s) convenient to you.

There are nearly twenty locations
(clinics and private physicians‘ offices)
around the state where you can go to have
your blood drawn as part of the Health
Department's anonymous system. You
simply choose the sit nearest to you (or, if
your prefer, farthest from you), and call to
ask for an appointment for an "anonymous
I-HV test." They will give you an appoint-
ment time without asking for your name.

When you go to the test site, you will
receive an information packet with a code
number on it. You must save this packet,
because you cannot get your test results
without it. This code number is attached to
the single tube of blood which the testers
will draw from you. The staff may also talk
to you about the test and offer to answer any
questions you may have.

In addition, there is an anonymous

Anonymous HIV Testn iermnt

questionnaire attached to this packet. Al-
though it is not mandatory to complete this
form, it will help give the Health Depart-
ment valuable information about why
people are tested and how the system can
be made more responsive to the needs of
those using it.

After your blood is drawn, it takes
approximately two weeks for the test re-
sults to be processed by the lab and re-
turned to the Health Department. Results
are not sent or given to the clinic where
your blood was drawn, but come only to
the Health Department's AIDS Program
office in Burlington.

At this point, you need to seeone of the
cotmselors to obtain your test results. You
can set up an appointment by calling the
AIDS Hotline again. Although they work
out of the Burlington office, the counselors
travel throughout the state, and will meet
you at a place convenient for you.

If you want to get your results outside
of Chittenden, Addison, Rutland, Fran-
klin, or Grand Isle counties, you can sim-
ply call after two weeks to make an ap-
pointment. In other counties, it is best to
call within a few days of having your blood
drawn to set up an appointment to see a
counselor in your area. Counselors will
make every possible effort to meet you
promptly; generally, they u'y to make sure
that a counselor will be available within
three working days of your call.

The counselors do not want to know
your name. They will meet you in a place
which is comfortable for you, respecting
your need for anonymity. People will fre-
quently be met in offices around the state,
in cars in parking lots, in parks and public
places, and, at times, in their homes. (As a
general rule, counselors avoid giving re-
sults in a restaurant, bar, or other crowded
public place where privacy can be limited).
Any personal information (appearance,

Safe Sex: The Board Game

Here's something on the market for
those of you who like a little game-playing
before going off to bed - "Speaking of Sex."

The board game is being distributed by
the AIDS Project of Los Angeles to pro-
mote awareness of HIV risks and safe sex
practices. The intended target audiences
include high school and college students as
well as church groups.

"Speaking of Sex" was developed by
students at the Art Center College of De-

sign in Pasadena. Players start at opposite
corners of the board and move their game
pieces (in this case, little condom and
dental dam figures) toward the center,
where a bed and two rather androgynous
triangular cartoon characters cavort over a
bed. If you follow the instructions care-
fully, you should enjoy a "fulfilling,
healthy experience" when you meet your
partner in the center. Our only observation:
is the board big enough to handle that?

November 1990

 
 
   

license plate number, phone or address,
etc.) which counselors obtain in the process
of setting up the appointment will be de-
stroyed after the results are given.

Counselors will explain the test results,
talk with you about your reasons for testing,
and offer appropriate referrals for health
care, counseling, and other resources you
may need. They will talk with you about
safer sex and further risk reduction efforts.
Whether you are positive or negative, this is
a good opportunity to ask any questions you
may have about your test results and what
they mean.

Deciding to be tested is a difficult
decision, and going through the testing
process can be just as hard. The Health
Department system is designed to make itas
easy as possible by offering information,
advice, support, and anonymity throughout
the entire process.

Forconfidenfial

AIDS
Information

 

Call
1-800-882-AIDS