HIV and the road to diagnosis

Friday, May 31, 1996

Home test protects privacy but lacks in-person counselingBy
Rachel Kelley

Daily Bruin Contributor

It is no longer necessary to visit a health clinic or doctor’s
office to be tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The Food
and Drug Administration recently approved a home HIV test kit in
which people prick their own finger, send away the blood sample and
receive the results by telephone.

The kit was developed to protect the privacy of potentially
positive HIV test-takers. However, what many people don’t know is
that the 800 number to call in order to receive the results
electronically records the caller’s phone number, said Dennis
Kelly, a physician for the Men’s Clinic on campus.

Although the home test kit serves as an important resource for
those who would rather not show up in person, the new procedure
­ particularly the way the results are administered ­ has
sparked debate.

A number of days after the blood sample is sent in, the
test-taker must call the 800 number to receive the results. The
test-takers hear a recording if they have tested negative, but will
speak to someone directly if they are tested positive.

Kelly fears that without the in-person communication, someone
who tests positive may try to harm themselves and there will be
nobody there to stop them.

"I did not handle the results well, but at least I wasn’t alone
or isolated. I had a support network," said one HIV positive
patient who tested under the standard procedure. "Each person
handles things differently, but there should always be a
safeguard.

"Receiving the results by telephone is not a controlled
environment and a controlled environment is very important when
considering the potential for very bad news," he added.

It is for this reason that Roger Bohman, a UCLA biology
lecturer, said that a true HIV home test will never be created,
unlike pregnancy tests.

"I admire the anonymity of the whole thing, but it will never be
a true home test because when you see the results, there will be
nobody there to tell you what it means," Bohman said.

A drawback to the new home HIV test kit is the absence of
counseling referrals, according to Bohman. Under the standard test
procedure, those who test positive have immediate access to
counseling services to help them cope with the news.

According to another person who tested positive for the HIV
virus, the lack of opportunity for psychological help is
"absolutely absurd."

"The last thing I wanted to deal with was going to APLA (AIDS
Project Los Angeles), but at least I had the list. At least I had
options. It wasn’t like ‘OK, you’re positive, click,’" he said.

It is almost considered malpractice to conduct therapy over the
phone, and that is the extent to which support is available for
home HIV test kit users, he added.

However, despite these flaws, it is estimated that there are one
million people in California who are living with the disease, but
have yet to be tested.

"This new home test kit encourages people to be tested that
wouldn’t otherwise because of fears of disclosure," Kelly said,
adding that the home test is just as sensitive as the standard test
given in a doctor’s office.

The new home HIV test is currently available in Texas and
Florida, and is expected to be on the market in California in the
next year.