Evolution of HIV Testing

Did you know that over 1 million people in the United States are HIV positive? And of those 1 million, over 200,000 are unaware that they are carrying the disease? These numbers are probably numbers you have heard in the media and feel may not pertain to you, but wouldn’t you like to know whether your HIV positive or not? As Taylor touched on in our most recent blog post, there’s always the sense of what if? Now I’m not trying to scare any of you, but I am pushing the notion of going to get tested. The tests are so easy to take and give you results in 10 minutes. The evolution of HIV tests have advanced a long ways in recent years making testing easier than ever and at BCAP there is no better time to get tested then now.

Twenty years ago HIV testing was a major pain, literally. Testing facilities required blood to be drawn and analyzed for up to 3 months. Not only was the wait for results long and tiresome, but people may have put off getting tested because of the hassle. With the advancements of medicine and science over the last century, testing has become easier than ever.  The tests are now quick, and give results within 10 minutes.  The tests are performed by pricking an individual’s finger and placing some blood onto a meter. After the device reads the blood it generates a positive/negative result based on whether a person has HIV antibodies or not. As you may know from viruses, your body produces antibodies to fight off the infection. So this test looks for these antibodies and the results are based off of these findings.

The Testing Device

There are testing facilities all over the state and nation where people can get tested, but if a person has access to BCAP I strongly recommend taking it there. Not only is it a very welcoming and inviting place to be, but it is very confidential and personal. The people at BCAP are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They welcome with open arms and provide a very positive environment. One of the advantages BCAP has over other testing facilities is the confidentiality a person is given. BCAP strives to provide a confidential and anonymous testing in which a person’s information is kept by using coding so names and other information are kept secret. Results are kept strictly confidential and only the person receiving the test is given the results. Another major advantage to testing at BCAP is the homely feel. BCAP provides a testing room that is far above an average facility. There is a couch and a nature noisemaker that allows the person to feel more comfortable than simply sitting in a waiting room and getting called back into a patient room. The professionals talk to the person one on one to find out about them and give advice on preventing the spread of HIV, teaching them all the while they are being tested. Overall BCAP offers an incredible facility and makes getting tested an easier experience



BCAP Testing Room



One of the wonderful professional staff at BCAP



                            

                                                   

I encourage everyone to get tested since it is such an easy process. It not only gives you the peace of mind of knowing, but if everyone were to get tested we might become ever closer as a society to stopping HIV/AIDS. Do your part and GET TESTED!

For Additional Information on the Tests:

http://www.bcap.org/about_hiv_testing_logistics.html

For Additional Information On Getting Tested:

http://www.bcap.org/what_prevention_testing.html

By: Zach Kincaid