• In the last 3 months have you had unprotected or vaginal sex?
• Have you ever paid a person to have sex?
• Have you had a sexually transmitted disease within the past five years?
• Are any of your current or past sex partners HIV positive?
• Do you use drugs or alcohol to make sex more enjoyable?
• Have you ever used a needle to inject drugs into your veins or under your skin?
• Have any of your current or past sex partners ever injected drugs into their veins or under their skins?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may be at risk for HIV infection.

Should you consider having a test for Hiv Infection? AIDS is hard to talk about and even harder to think about. For further information call 718-HIV-CALL Help line hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, The counselors can answer your questions about risk, or just listen, and if you are interested schedule you for an HIV antibody test.

TESTING FOR HIV?

HOW CAN HIV TESTING HELP YOU?

If tests show that you don't have HIV, you can learn how to stay HIV-free. (Someone who does not have HIV is called HIV negative.) If tests show that you do have HIV, you can get medical care right away to help you:
• stay healthy longer
• avoid getting some illnesses caused by HIV
• get early treatment for illnesses that do occur.

Testing is the only way to know if you have HIV and testing is the first step in getting medical care, counseling, and support if you need them.

WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE BEFORE HAVING THE TEST?

The HIV test is important, but it is a big step. You should think about how having HIV could affect your life. These following three steps can help you to prepare for the test:
1. Consider telling someone you trust that you are having the HIV test. Support of a family member or a friend can mean a lot.
2. Find out how private your test results will be. Ask the clinic if anyone but you can learn your test results.
3. Set a time to get your results. Don't put it off. The test can help you only when you find out what it shows.

HIV TESTING:
 
WHEN THINKING OF GETTING TESTED FOR HIV, THERE ARE A FEW IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER.

• There are a couple of different types of tests being used to help people determine if they have been infected with HIV.  However, when people say "HIV test," they are usually referring to a standard antibody test.
• When having a standard HIV antibody test, there must be at least six weeks time between the time a person was last at risk for contracting HIV and the time that he/she gets a test done.  Some people call this the "window period." The HIV test is looking for antibodies, which are the body’s response to having HIV in it.  For most people, it takes six weeks for the body to produce enough antibodies for a standard HIV antibody test to be accurate.
• If people are continually at risk (active intravenous drug users, for example), they may want to get tested even if six weeks have not passed since their last risk.  If the test result is negative, though, people may want to get retested again later.
• For people who have been at risk for contracting HIV, Community Health Action offers confidential HIV testing.  Confidential testing means that there will be a private record kept with a name attached to it.   To find a convenient testing site, to talk about testing options, or learn more about the testing process, people can call the Community Health Action at (718) 442-8802.