Rapid Hiv Testing

During a persons college years many things take place, some of them memorable and some of them forgettable. For many, it is their first time away from home and peer pressure can get the best of them in certain situations. For those of us who were hard partiers in college, alcohol has played a role in a at least one stupid decision we have made. College parties are filled with alcohol and some of them with drugs. When a person is under the influence the smartest decisions are not always made. How many of us have woke up to check our phone log and see who we dialed last night? Have you looked around a room in the morning and wondered where you were? Have you been the victim of your friends using you as their life size coloring book? Don’t worry you aren’t the only one!

Hopefully you have grown out of the days of partying till you can’t see straight. If you haven’t and there are many who have not, please check back for future posts on the subject. For those of us that have, there may be worries you still carry with you that eat at you every once in a while. Maybe it’s something you did on video that you worry may pop up sometime down the line when you least expect it. Or for most their may be a sexual encounter that took place that you regret, or weren’t as safe as you are when sober.

If you have had a sexual encounter that you worry about, it is a must that you get tested for HIV. A scary thing I know, but it is a must. If your test is negative it will eliminate that worry that has been eating at you inside. If it is positive, you then can begin to get treated. With this knowledge you can also practice safe sex and prevent it from spreading to anybody else.

In the past the hardest part of the HIV test was waiting for the results to come in. HIV testing results usually took around two weeks from the time of the test to be returned. During that time the thoughts running through your head could damn near drive you crazy. What if I told you that it is now possible to get HIV testing results in 20 minutes? Well it’s true. Rapid HIV testing is now available at several clinics. You can find a list of HIV testing centers at www.hivtest.org.

Ok, so now you have found the HIV testing center or clinic nearest to you. First determine if they require an appointment or if it is a walk-in clinic, meaning you just show up during business hours and they will see you. Once you arrive at the facility they will have you fill out a form. Keep in mind you can be tested anonymously at many facilities. The form is just a basic questionnaire about your sexual activity and drug use. It asks how many partners you have had recently, do you inject drugs, what gender are your partners and other similar questions. How do I know this? Well just like most posts on this site I have already gone through this. I wouldn’t feel right telling you to go get tested if I had not done it myself. Ok…where were we. Oh yes, once your form is filled out you will wait briefly in the waiting room. Once called you will be taken into an office where your middle finger will be pricked and blood drawn. This was the case for me, but there are other rapid tests such as the oraquick hiv test where no blood is drawn. In the oraquick test a swab is scrapped across the upper and lower gums. In my case however blood was drawn and then placed in a vile with another solution. The two were shaken briefly by the nurse. Another plastic stick was inserted into the tube and a 20 minute timer was started. I was given a card with a number that matched the vile my blood was placed in. I then went back to the waiting room. After 20 minutes I was called back in and given my results. They nurse let me know I had tested negative and asked me if I had any questions. I did not, so I was on my way.

Like I said before, the hardest part about getting tested for HIV is the wait for the results. With the new rapid hiv tests this wait has been greatly reduced. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor. Take 20 minutes of your day and go get tested. If you test negative any worries you had will be lifted. If you test positive you can now begin to get treated and also prevent HIV from spreading to anyone else.