Where can I get tested for HIV? Tests for HIV, AIDS. – Could the result be wrong?

HIV is a fatal and currently incurable sexually transmitted disease. It is easy to diagnose using tests. But HIV-infected people do not always want to advertise their illness. People usually try to hide even the fact of conducting research for this infection from others.

Is it possible to take an HIV test anonymously?

Every citizen of Russia has the right get tested for HIV anonymously.

It would seem that such norms are harmful to public health.

Many opponents of this approach would probably like to see every HIV-infected person get a tattoo on their forehead with the words “Danger, HIV!” This way he would pose less of a danger to others. But in reality, the possibility of anonymous examination is a measure aimed at reducing the spread of infection in society.

It is believed that most people are conscientious enough to avoid unprotected sex after learning about their diagnosis. But the lack of anonymity when taking tests would lead to low detection of this infection.

Most potential HIV-infected patients would simply refuse diagnosis.

Where can I get tested anonymously for HIV?

If a person decides to get examined, he usually looks for where to anonymously get tested for HIV.

You can contact:

• to AIDS centers;
• to public clinics;
• to skin and venereal disease clinics;
• to any private clinics or laboratories.

Everywhere, be it a public clinic or a private medical institution, you have no right to require a passport if you need to take an HIV test. Therefore, you can call yourself by any name. The result of the analysis will be issued in this name, which you can pick up at the registration desk in person or receive by email. This method of testing is usually practiced in private medical institutions.

In government centers there is no need to give any name at all. You are assigned a serial number. The date and time of the analysis is also recorded in the log. Then you come with this number and find out your results.

Where is the best place to get tested for HIV anonymously in Moscow?

If you want to get tested really anonymously, it is better to go to private clinics. Theoretically, anonymous examination is also possible in public medical institutions.

But by going there, you can:

• meet your neighbors who will be interested in why you came to the clinic;
• encounter your local doctor, who knows you very well and also knows your neighbors, because services in clinics are organized on a territorial basis.

The human factor should also not be excluded. Acquaintances, nurses or other health workers, are quite capable of spilling the beans about who came to them for tests and what results they got.

Do not forget that all the people who come to the clinic live in the same area. Some are served here, others work.

Perhaps the nurse who will take the blood lives in the same house as you. Naturally, there can be no talk of any real anonymity in such conditions.

Is it worth getting tested for HIV anonymously for free?

The lack of real anonymity is only one of a number of disadvantages of being examined at a free clinic.

Other cons:

• long queues and loss of a lot of time;
• rudeness of the medical staff;
• you will be looked at as a drug addict or a prostitute;
• You will not get results immediately, so you will have to experience stress for several days.

The human factor should not be excluded. There is a huge flow of people in free medical institutions. The results of your tests may well be confused with another person. And then they may tell you that you have HIV, although in reality you are healthy. Such cases are not uncommon in public clinics. There is no big problem with this. But you will have to take the analysis again. In addition, you are guaranteed a few days of worry and the appearance of new gray hairs on your head.

To re-take the test means to re-expose yourself to the risk of:

• being discovered by neighbors taking an HIV test;
• spend a lot of time in a long queue;
• actually contracting an infection is as easy as shelling pears in an office where dozens of HIV-infected people come every day and donate blood for testing.

Advantages of diagnostics in a private clinic

In a private clinic you are guaranteed complete anonymity. Not many people come here, and no one will know what kind of test you are taking. On the office where blood is taken, “AIDS office” is not written in large letters. The clinic workers do not know you, and you can easily introduce yourself with someone else’s or a fictitious name.

Other advantages of getting tested in a paid clinic:

• The rules of asepsis and antisepsis are carefully observed, so there is no risk of contracting an infection.
• There are no queues - tests are taken by appointment.
• If you take the test on a first-come, first-served basis, it won’t be as long as at the clinic, and you won’t lose a lot of time.
• Private clinics employ experienced and motivated nurses who take tests painlessly.
• No one will look at you as a dysfunctional person - they don’t come to paid clinics.
• You will receive the results the very next day.
• There is no need to come in person to receive research results - they can be sent to you by email or phone.
• The results of the study will be reliable.
• There is no risk of mixing up tests due to the good organization of work in most private clinics.

What are the pros and cons of anonymous testing?

Anonymous testing for HIV has both pros and cons.

The benefits are obvious. You can get tested without risking your reputation. There is a common misconception in society that only people from the lowest strata of society suffer from HIV infection. These are drug addicts who lead a chaotic sex life. In reality this is not true, and anyone can become infected. But who cares, you will be branded as soon as you see you at an AIDS treatment center.

However, anonymous testing also has its disadvantages. Treatment under someone else's name or serial number is not carried out. Medicines are prescribed for a specific person with real passport data.

After taking the test anonymously, you will have no way to prove to the doctor that it belongs to you. If a certificate from some institution is required about the absence of HIV infection, it will not be valid during an anonymous examination. After all, the name on the form will be someone else’s or fictitious. Therefore, if the result is positive, it is worth taking the HIV test again. This time it must be submitted not anonymously, but under your own name. Then you will be able to use the received document in medical institutions. It can also be used to receive antiretroviral therapy.

If you need an anonymous HIV test, please contact our clinic. No one will look at your passport.

You can call any name, and we will register it in our database. In the future, you will be able to take other tests using this name, for example, for sexually transmitted infections. We will send you the results by email the next day. It will not be possible to recognize him by phone - this is how we ensure complete anonymity.

If you need to get tested for HIV anonymously, please contact our medical center.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells of the immune system and causes a disease called AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). In the initial stages, the virus does not manifest itself in any way (this can continue for several years), and a person often does not even suspect that he is its carrier. HIV is a “devourer” of immune system cells that protect the body from infections and the development of tumors. The patient becomes vulnerable to diseases that are rare in HIV-negative people. The diagnosis of AIDS is made when a person develops at least one comorbidity.

Important!It is impossible to completely eliminate HIV infection, but timely initiation of antiretroviral therapy (the combined use of several medications that weaken the activity of the virus and stop its reproduction) can prevent the development of AIDS and make the patient’s quality of life the same as that of a healthy person. Therefore, it is so important to take an HIV test as soon as possible if you suspect an infection and, if the result is positive, to immediately seek medical help.

HIV is transmitted through blood, semen, breast milk and vaginal secretions. Transmission of the virus can occur:

• During unprotected sexual intercourse (especially anal, as they are more traumatic).
• Through shared syringes.
• During blood transfusion.
• From mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
• Through non-sterile needles for piercing and tattooing, dental instruments, accessories for manicure and pedicure, shared razors, in rare cases through other people's toothbrushes (if there are traces of blood on them).

Reference. There is no household transmission of HIV. Also, biological materials such as urine, saliva, sweat, tear fluid, and feces are not “infectious.”

The likelihood of contracting HIV through sexual contact increases if you have:

• other STDs (sexually transmitted diseases);
• cervical erosion.

How do you get tested for HIV?

Blood tests for HIV can be taken for preventive reasons. It is recommended to undergo a study:

• after unprotected sexual intercourse with a questionable partner or with frequent changes of sexual partners;
• when planning pregnancy;
• before surgical operations;
• if you wish to become a donor.

In the last two cases, the research cannot be conducted anonymously.

An HIV test is also taken if several of the following symptoms are present:

• enlargement of two or more lymph nodes;
• increased body temperature for a long time;
• diarrhea for three or more weeks;
• candidiasis (thrush);
• causeless weight loss;
• frequent colds;
• night sweats;
• fever.

The material for analysis is venous blood. No special preparation is required for its collection, but before the procedure it is advisable not to eat for several hours and not to smoke for at least half an hour.

The most commonly used research methods are:

• ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) - allows you to detect antibodies to the virus in the blood.
• The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method makes it possible to identify the virus itself.

An enzyme immunoassay is usually performed as a screening test. This is a qualitative method, that is, it allows you to determine whether there is an infection in the patient’s body or not. The PCR method is quantitative - it makes it possible not only to detect the virus, but also to determine the extent of its spread.

When to get tested for HIV?

Enzyme immunoassay should be carried out no earlier than 1.5-3 months after the suspected infection (antibodies will not be detected earlier). A PCR test will show the presence of infection 2-3 weeks after the virus enters the body.

Blood tests for HIV are usually done twice. The first is screening (that is, it allows us to talk about the presence or absence of infection). The second is confirmatory. If the result of the first study is positive, it is carried out after 3 weeks, if negative - after 6 weeks. This is necessary for maximum reliability. A false positive test result for HIV can occur if the patient has hepatitis, influenza, certain liver pathologies, or infections. False negative - when the analysis is carried out too early.

An immunoblot is usually performed as a confirmatory study. This is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, before which the HIV antigen is digested using electrophoresis. The procedure allows you to obtain more accurate results than ELISA.

How long will it take for the analysis result to be ready?

How much an HIV test is done depends on the laboratory in which the test is carried out. On average - one day, but the period depends on the time of submission of the biomaterial and its delivery to the laboratory.

Where can I get tested for HIV anonymously?

If you are looking for where to get tested for HIV in the North-Eastern Administrative District of Moscow, then the Otradnoe Polyclinic will be the best choice. Here you can complete the study either as usual or anonymously.

How much does the examination cost and what documents are needed?

You can find prices for laboratory services at the Otradnoe Polyclinic on our website. If you want to undergo the examination as usual, you must take your passport or equivalent document with you.

You can also take an anonymous HIV test if you wish. In this case, no documents are required. The patient is simply assigned a number, by calling which he can receive the result of the study. However, it should be remembered that anonymous analysis only allows you to find out your HIV status. Its result is not relevant for hospitalization, before surgery, desire to become a donor, or for treatment.

Where can you go for this?

Anonymous blood testing for STIs has become more accessible than ever in recent decades.

People wishing to be examined can use:

• Offices at clinics where you can anonymously get tested for STDs.
• Services of specialized laboratories.
• With the help of specialized dispensaries and clinics.
• Contacting private practice doctors.
• Self-purchased express tests for a number of STDs, HIV and hepatitis at the pharmacy.

Preference should be given to specialized clinics, dispensaries and contacting specialists. Because here you can anonymously get tested for a wide range of STDs: from gonorrhea to hepatitis. If necessary, immediately obtain qualified treatment recommendations.

As for quick tests, all their results, especially positive ones, must be confirmed in the laboratory. A negative test also does not guarantee 100% accuracy: many STDs, HIV and hepatitis have a latent period.

How is the procedure organized?

The work of anonymous centers for taking tests has now been simplified, so much so that a person does not experience any difficulties when deciding to undergo an examination. The first big plus is that there is no territorial attachment.

That is, if you want to take anonymous tests for sexually transmitted diseases, you can be examined in any office or clinic in Moscow. You can also go there for treatment. There is no need to go to a local clinic, where everyone knows everyone.

The algorithm is simple:

• When applying, personal data is limited to gender, age and contact information.
• A survey and medical examination are carried out.
• An indicative list of necessary examinations is compiled: STIs, HIV, or all together.
• Diagnostic material is collected and used for work.

If hepatitis or HIV is suspected, rapid tests are first performed. Their results become known after 3-10 minutes. If the result is positive, you can donate venous blood here for laboratory confirmation or refutation of the diagnosis. When the result of a rapid analysis does not correspond to the clinical picture, the doctor may recommend an anonymous further examination.

Even with negative quick analysis results.

If it takes time to obtain data, you can find out the result in several ways:

• Leave a contact phone number, email and office staff will contact the patient.
• Call yourself after a certain time and find out all the information.
• Come again in person.

In all cases, the anonymity of blood tests is guaranteed. The patient appears only under a laboratory number, without reference to personal information. Many offices where you can get tested for hepatitis, HIV and STDs even have a separate entrance to make it easier to maintain anonymity.

How is anonymity ensured during treatment?

If a disease is detected, then confidentiality is maintained as much as possible.

At any stage: additional examination, prescription of treatment, ongoing laboratory monitoring and control of recovery.

However, this opportunity is provided only in the following cases:

• The disease cannot lead to infection of a large number of people.
• The purchase of medicines and consumables is carried out without the use of health insurance.
• The disease is highly treatable and recovery does not take very long.

If a serious chronic viral infection, such as HIV, is detected, some personal data will need to be disclosed in order to prescribe treatment.

But even then they are processed according to the principle of anonymous tests. All patients are assigned an individual unique code, by which it is impossible to identify a person.

If you need to anonymously take tests for sexually transmitted infections, contact competent venereologists.

REALITY:

Myth 1:

HIV infection is a disease of drug addicts.

REALITY:

In 2018, sexual transmission of HIV infection was recorded in more than 60% of all new cases. Any person who does not follow the rules of prevention can become infected with HIV.

Myth 2:

REALITY:

Myth 2:

HIV infection can be contracted in any public place.

REALITY:

It is impossible to become infected with HIV infection through airborne droplets, water, personal contact, through the use of shared utensils, a shared toilet, transport, when attending school, during sports games, swimming in the pool, shaking hands, hugging, or kissing. Infection does not occur with mosquito bites either, this has been established in large-scale studies.
Infection of a person with HIV occurs when biological fluids containing HIV in maximum concentration (blood, genital secretions and breast milk) enter the blood or mucous membrane.

HIV is not transmitted through mosquitoes or through ordinary household contacts!

Myth 3:

REALITY:

Myth 3:

Children born to an HIV-infected mother are also infected with HIV.

REALITY:

If a mother undergoes a timely HIV test during pregnancy and carefully takes special antiretroviral medications prescribed by her doctor, and breastfeeding is replaced by artificial feeding, then the risk of HIV infection for the child will be less than 2%. If these preventive measures are not taken, the risk of HIV transmission from mother to infant is 15-30% during bottle feeding. With breastfeeding it will increase even more.

Myth 4:

REALITY:

Myth 4:

HIV infection is a death sentence!

REALITY:

Over the past 30 years, medicine has achieved significant results in the fight against HIV. Today, timely antiretroviral therapy allows an HIV-infected person to live as long as people without HIV.

Myth 5:

REALITY:

Myth 5:

An HIV-infected person has AIDS.

REALITY:

HIV and AIDS are not the same thing. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a late stage of HIV infection, which does not develop in everyone and not immediately. A person who is a carrier of the human immunodeficiency virus may never get AIDS if he regularly visits the doctor and starts taking antiretroviral therapy on time.

MYTH 6:

REALITY:

MYTH 6:

If tests do not show HIV immediately after questionable sexual intercourse, it means you have not become infected.

REALITY:

Typically, HIV infection manifests itself 4-6 weeks after infection, and donating blood the day after unprotected intimacy is pointless. Most often, antibodies to the virus (which we detect) are developed in an infected person after 3 months, which is when you need to get tested for HIV.

Myth 7:

REALITY:

Myth 7:

You can tell that you have HIV a few days after infection by looking at your symptoms.

REALITY:

Symptoms of HIV infection in the early stages do not always appear in all people. Sometimes the patient experiences a fever and slight malaise, like a cold, which quickly passes. Many people do not even realize that they are infected, since the disease can develop in the body unnoticed for 10–12 years. Many years pass between contracting HIV infection and the stage of AIDS, during which the disease slowly depletes the immune system.