HIV Testing and Counseling

HIV Testing & Counseling

The Central Michigan District Health Department offers confidential and anonymous HIV testing at the main office - 2012 E. Preston (corner of Preston and Isabella Road), Mt. Pleasant. Certified testing/counseling personnel are available to assist individuals requesting an HIV test.

Those interested in receiving an HIV test need to call: (989) 773-5921 ext: 1409 to make an appointment. To assist in planning your visit, it generally takes 25-35 minutes to complete the required forms and to obtain a sample. The Central Michigan District Health Department utilizes two methods that are equally reliable for HIV testing:

Rapid Test (finger stick)
Conventional (blood draw)

For persons testing for the first time, components of the visit include:

Reviewing Confidentiality Policies of testing as established by the State of Michigan and Notice of Privacy Practices Act
Reviewing health information pertaining to HIV/AIDS
Completion of a risk assessment
Discussing and establishing a risk reduction plan (as needed)
Obtaining a blood sample for testing

Rapid Test provide results in 20 minutes after being administered. Results for a conventional blood draw take 7-10 business days to come back from the state lab. Staff will either call or schedule a follow up appointment to notify the individual of their HIV results.

The Central Michigan District Health Department encourages individuals to receive an HIV test especially if a risk indicator is identified. A risk indicator would be one or more of the following:

People who have or had a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
People who have shared needles or who have a history of any drug use, those engaging in sexual behaviors while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or those having sexual contact with someone known to inject drugs
Men who have sex with other men
Men or women who have unprotected sex with anyone whose HIV status is unknown.
People who have had more than one sexual partner
People who have had sexual contact with a sex worker (male or female)
People who received blood products or blood transfusions between 1978 and 1985
People who exchange sex for drugs or money
People who are infected with tuberculosis
People who have had exposure to the blood of someone who may be infected
Women who are pregnant** If a woman is pregnant and has experienced one or more of the risk factors noted above, she may be infected and pass the virus on to her unborn child while being pregnant, during delivery and following birth through breast feeding her baby

NOTE: A PERSON CAN BE INFECTED WITH HIV FOR MANY YEARS WITHOUT HAVING AIDS OR LOOKING OR FEELING SICK. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS; however, there is treatment available. Sometimes a person can have another kind of STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) without any signs or symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms go away on their own, but the infection is still there until it is treated. We recommend regular testing for all STIs.

For More Information on HIV/AIDS:

Effects of HIV on the Human Body

http://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/effects-on-body\

HIV Prevention

https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prevention.html

AVERT-AIDS Education

www.avert.org

Center of AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS)

www.caps.ucsf.edu

CDC - National Center for HIV, STI, and TB Prevention

www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/nchstp.html

UNAIDS