Target Audience: Individuals with a history of risky behaviors wanting to know their HIV status.
Eligibility or Criteria: Anyone over the age of 12 years.
Minimal fee or no fee for those persons at risk for HIV.
For more information, call 618-692-8954 ext. 2 or Bernadette Sobczak (296-6085), Patty Gabel (296-6090), or Kenny Muller (296-6083).

Description

Madison County Health Department offers anonymous HIV testing. Clients should call for an appointment. No name is given. When the client arrives he/she just tells the receptionist they have an appointment with a particular nurse. Clients do not give their names nor do they sign in on the clinic sheet. The client is counseled about modes of transmission for HIV and given risk reduction messages.

Testing can be done by an oral testing device called Ora Sure. This method of testing is 99% accurate and results are available in two weeks. Clients must return to the clinic for results. Another oral testing device - OraQuick is also used at Madison County Health Department. With this device, results are known in about 20 minutes.

HIV testing for visas, passports, and immigrations is done by a blood test costing $20.00. Blood testing can also be done for clients at low-risk for HIV as requested.

HIV testing was started in 1997 at Madison County Health Department. The oral testing began in January 1998.

Benefits

Anonymous testing is the preferred choice for testing by many individuals. The counseling session gives the client a knowledge base about the transmission and prevention of HIV. Early detection of HIV can help prevent the unknowing spread of this disease.