aids patient report positive

by Julianne Sporer 9 min read

Understanding a Positive Result | Testing | HIV Basics

5 hours ago No. Being HIV-positive does not mean you have AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV disease. HIV can lead to AIDS if a person does not get treatment or take care of their health. But if a person with HIV takes their HIV medicine as prescribed, they may stay healthy for many years, and may never be diagnosed with AIDS. Learn more about AIDS. >> Go To The Portal


If your HIV test is positive, the clinic or other testing site will report the results to your state health department. They do this so that public health officials can monitor what’s happening with the HIV epidemic in your city and state.

What does a positive result mean? If you use any type of antibody test and have a positive result, you will need another (follow-up) test to confirm your results. If you test in a community testing program or take a self-test and it's positive, you should go to a health care provider to get follow-up testing.

Full Answer

What does a positive HIV test result mean?

What Does a Positive HIV Test Result Mean? If you have a positive HIV test result, a follow-up test will be conducted. If the follow-up test is also positive, it means you are HIV-positive. If you had a rapid screening test, the testing site will arrange a follow-up test to make sure the screening test result was correct.

How do I Report HIV and AIDS?

Including <200 CD4 cells/µ or one of the 28 opportunistic infections and/or conditions. Reporting required by a medical provider who is seeing the patient for the first time. You may also submit PRFs electronically by visiting the provider portal. You can get instructions for accessing the portal here (PDF). Why Report Diagnoses of HIV and AIDS?

Are HIV infection reports representative of all HIV-infected persons?

HIV infection reports that are now integral to public health programs in many states are not anticipated to be representative of all HIV-infected persons. Such reports represent only those persons within the infected population who are tested and reported at a given time.

Do we need a reporting system for HIV infection prevention?

Prevention activities and medical management of patients can be carried out without requiring HIV infection reporting (4), but a reporting system can provide a framework for maintaining these activities.

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What happens if you test positive for AIDS?

After testing positive for HIV, a person's first visit with a health care provider includes a review of the person's health and medical history, a physical exam, and several lab tests. The health care provider also explains the benefits of HIV treatment and discusses ways to reduce the risk of passing HIV to others.

How do you test positive for AIDS?

HIV tests are typically performed on blood or oral fluid. They may also be performed on urine. A NAT looks for the actual virus in the blood and involves drawing blood from a vein. The test can either tell if a person has HIV or tell how much virus is present in the blood (known as an HIV viral load test).

Do people with AIDS have to report it?

All 50 states and the District of Columbia require health-care providers to report new cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to their state health departments. As of July 1989, 28 (56%) states also required reporting of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Figure 1).

What is a normal viral load?

A lower HIV viral load is below 10,000 copies. The virus probably isn't actively reproducing as fast, and damage to your immune system may be slowed, but this is not optimal. A viral load that can't be detected -- less than 20 copies -- is always the goal of HIV treatment.

What is preliminary positive?

Testing Preliminary Positive. You have taken a preliminary rapid (quick) test for HIV. The result of the rapid test is preliminary positive, meaning that you may have HIV in your blood.

What Does A Negative HIV Test Result Mean?

A negative result doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have HIV. That's because of the window period—the time between when a person gets HIV and...

If I Have A Negative Test Result, Does That Mean That My Partner Is Hiv-Negative also?

No. Your HIV test result reveals only your HIV status.HIV is not necessarily transmitted every time you have sex. Therefore, taking an HIV test is...

What Does A Positive HIV Test Result Mean?

If you have a positive HIV test result, a follow-up test will be conducted. If the follow-up test is also positive, it means you are HIV-positive.I...

If I Test Positive For HIV, Does That Mean I Have Aids?

No. Testing positive for HIV does not mean you have AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV disease. HIV can lead to AIDS if not treated.See W...

Will Other People Know My Test result?

If you take an anonymous test, no one but you will know the result. If you take a confidential test, your test result will be part of your medical...

What is a loc map for HIV testing?

HIV Diagnostic Tests LOINC Map#N#excel icon#N#[XLS – 254 KB]#N#To increase semantic interoperability for HIV laboratory reporting, the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, HIV Incidence and Case Surveillance Branch at CDC participated in a pilot project to develop a LOINC map for all FDA-approved HIV diagnostic tests. The standardized mapping was developed in coordination with Association of Public Health Laboratories, the Regenstrief Institute, Inc., and the Division of Laboratory Systems at CDC. The benefits of the LOINC map is in providing a concise document that defines LOINC codes for use with specific tests.#N#Intended Audience: Diagnostic laboratory personnel, public health surveillance personnel and in vitro diagnostic developers.

What is the purpose of the NCHHSTP report?

The purpose of this report is to help public health agencies and others understand and interpret their responsibilities under the Privacy Rule.

Will Other People Know Your Test Result?

If you take an anonymous test, no one but you will know the result. If you take a confidential test, your test result will be part of your medical record, but it is still protected by state and federal privacy laws. Most testing is done confidentially.

How to lower your risk of HIV?

To lower your risk of transmitting HIV, Take medicines to treat HIV (antiretroviral therapy or ART) the right way every day so that you achieve and maintain an undectable viral load. Use condoms the right way every time you have sex. Learn the right ways to use a male condom and a female condom.

What does HIV stand for in testing?

HIV testing shows whether a person is infected with HIV. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Learn about what a positive and negative HIV test result mean.

What is the purpose of ART?

ART is the use of HIV medicines to treat HIV infection. People on ART take a combination of HIV medicines every day. ART can keep you healthy for many years and greatly reduces your chance of transmitting HIV to your sex partner (s) if taken the right way, every day.

What does it mean if you have a positive HIV test?

If you have a positive HIV test result, a follow-up test will be conducted. If the follow-up test is also positive, it means you are HIV-positive.

What does a negative HIV test mean?

A negative result doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have HIV. That's because of the window period—the time between when a person gets HIV and when a test can accurately detect it. The window period varies from person to person and is also different depending upon the type of HIV test. Ask your health care provider about ...

What to do if your blood test confirms you are infected with HIV?

If your follow-up test result confirms you are infected with HIV, the next thing is to take steps to protect your health and prevent transmission to others. Begin by talking to your health care provider about antiretroviral therapy (ART).

What is a second confirmatory test?

Ensure patient gets results of confirmatory test. When a patient has a reactive result on the rapid HIV screening, a second, confirmatory test must be conducted by a certified laboratory. If the second test is also positive, it is considered a final positive test result which needs to be provided to the patient.

What happens if a patient has a positive HIV test?

The medical professional who receives a patient's confirmed positive HIV test result must provide an appointment or schedule an appointment for follow-up HIV medical care. If the provider does not provide HIV medical care, the patient's medical record should reflect the name of the medical provider/facility where the appointment was made.

What is the DOH-4189 form?

Medical providers who receive a confirmed HIV-positive test result from a laboratory must use DOH-4189 to report ...

Why do you need to include DOH-4189?

Because laboratory reports do not include partner/contact, risk factors, and testing history information , medical providers must include this information on DOH-4189. This two-page document is a duplicate form, so it cannot be posted online as a PDF file.

Does New York State have rapid screening?

In New York State, a variety of settings offer HIV rapid screening and patients may not receive confirmed HIV test results from the provider who conducted the rapid screening.

Is HIV reporting required in New York?

HIV reporting is required by law; how to access prevention and supportive services. Outside of New York City, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Partner Services staff can also assist in providing post-test counseling. For more information on supportive services providers see " Living with HIV/AIDS ".

Why is HIV reporting important?

Editorial Note: HIV infection reports are useful in directing HIV-related prevention activities such as patient counseling, partner notification, and referral for appropriate medical management (e.g., evaluation for prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (2)). Reporting of HIV-infected persons may enable earlier recognition of persons with or at risk for HIV infection and earlier interventions to prevent further spread of HIV. Recent guidelines for initiation of therapy in some HIV-infected persons emphasize the need for identifying persons who need treatment before the diagnosis of AIDS is made (2). HIV infection reports are also useful for guiding pediatric medical and social support programs, including programs for infants whose infection status may remain undetermined until they are greater than or equal to 15 months of age (3). Prevention activities and medical management of patients can be carried out without requiring HIV infection reporting (4), but a reporting system can provide a framework for maintaining these activities.

What are the factors that influence HIV testing?

Testing and reporting may be influenced by factors other than the incidence and prevalence of AIDS, e.g., public awareness of risk factors, confidentiality concerns, and testing accessibility. While HIV infection reports complement other HIV/AIDS studies of HIV infection in a community (5,6), AIDS surveillance and the HIV family of surveys (7) ...

How many states have HIV?

The 28 states that require HIV infection reporting account for 45% of the U.S. population and 24% of U.S. AIDS cases reported as of June 30, 1989. States with HIV infection reporting had a lower median cumulative incidence of AIDS (388 AIDS cases per state or 14 cases per 100,000 population) than states without reporting (1244 AIDS cases per state or 31 cases per 100,000 population). Thirteen (46%) states with HIV infection reporting had greater than 500 cumulative AIDS cases, compared with 14 (64%) states without reporting.

What is the responsibility of reporting HIV?

In 21 (75%) states, reporting is the responsibility of both the physician caring for the patient and the laboratory that tested the patient's blood for HIV antibody. In five (18%) states, reporting is the physician's responsibility alone, and in two (7%) states, it is the flaboratory's responsibility alone. Twenty (71%) states require a positive result on a supplemental test (Western blot or immunofluorescence assay) in addition to a repeatedly reactive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) before a patient is reported; three (11%) states will accept reports on patients repeatedly reactive on EIA; five (18%) states will accept reports on patients reactive on an initial EIA. All states, however, recommend supplemental testing before patient follow-up or initiation of partner notification procedures.

How many states require AIDS reporting?

All 50 states and the District of Columbia require health-care providers to report new cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to their state health departments. As of July 1989, 28 (56%) states also required reporting of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Figure 1). In addition, 10 states (as of May 1989) have proposals on reporting currently before their legislatures, governors, or voting constituencies.

Do you have to have a name on a HIV test?

Eighteen (64%) of the 28 states require HIV reporting by patient's name (Figure 1); however, under certain circumstances, 10 of the 18 states permit anonymous testing and therefore do not receive names on some reports.

What is the highest priority of the HIV Epidemiology Program?

The highest priority of the HIV Epidemiology Program is to maintain the confidentiality of all persons reported with HIV/AIDS, including their names and other identifying information . We protect this information by adhering to the provisions of the New York State Public Health Law, the New York City Health Code, HIPAA and other federal legislation, and the HIV Epidemiology Program Confidentiality and Data Security Protocol.

What is the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's HIV Epidemiology Program?

All HIV nucleotide sequences generated by genotype testing. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's (DOHMH) HIV Epidemiology Program (HEP) is authorized to investigate reports for persons reported from New York City to confirm the fact and date of diagnosis or laboratory test.

How to submit a PRF in New York?

Complete a New York State form, Medical Provider HIV/AIDS and Partner/Contact Report Form (PRF) [DOH-4189 revised 9/2016]. Forms are available from New York State Department Health. Call (518) 474-4284 for copies of the forms. You may also submit PRFs electronically by visiting the provider portal. You can get instructions for accessing the portal here (PDF).

What is a first report of HIV positive test results?

First report of HIV positive test results, including Acute HIV Infection and persons diagnosed with HIV-2. Previously diagnosed HIV (non-AIDS): Reporting required by a medical provider who is seeing the patient for the first time and patient has not met criteria for AIDS. Initial/new diagnosis of AIDS:

How to contact HEP in New York?

New York City providers who are reporting for the first time: Please call (212) 442-3388 to arrange for a meeting with our HEP field representative. Our staff will review with you the reporting protocol that meets the requirements of the New York State HIV Reporting Law.

What is the number to call for CNAP?

Please call CNAP at (212) 693-1419, or call 311 and ask for CNAP.

What is the law on HIV reporting?

It's the law! Article 21 (Title 3, Section 2130) requires health care providers to report HIV-related events on the Medical Provider Report Form (PRF). Allows for monitoring of HIV and AIDS in New York City, such as: Where HIV is spreading. Identifying the number of people infected and potentially needing medical and/or social services.

What is the duty to warn in a clinic?

Some states also have laws that require clinic staff to notify a “third party” if they know that person has a significant risk for exposure to HIV from a patient the staff member knows is infected with HIV. This is called “duty to warn.”.

What is Ryan White's duty to warn?

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program requires that health departments receiving money from the Ryan White program show “good faith” efforts to notify the marriage partners of a patient with HIV.

What happens if you test positive for HIV?

If your HIV test is positive, the clinic or other testing site will report the results to your state health department. They do this so that public health officials can monitor what’s happening with the HIV epidemic in your city and state. (It’s important for them to know this, because Federal and state funding for HIV services is often targeted ...

What agency is responsible for removing personal information from a test?

Your state health department will then remove all of your personal information (name, address, etc.) from your test results and send the information to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC is the Federal agency responsible for tracking national public health trends.

Who can file a charge of discrimination?

Any individual who believes that his or her employment rights have been violated may file a charge of discrimination with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition, an individual, an organization, or an agency may file a charge on behalf of another person in order to protect the aggrieved person's identity.

Do you have to tell your partner if you test positive for HIV?

Many states and some cities have partner-notification laws—meaning that, if you test positive for HIV, you (or your healthcare provider) may be legally obligated to tell your sex or needle-sharing partner (s).

Can you be charged with a crime if you don't tell your partner?

In some states, if you are HIV-positive and don’t tell your partner (s), you can be charged with a crime. Some health departments require healthcare providers to report the name of your sex and needle-sharing partner (s) if they know that information–even if you refuse to report that information yourself. Some states also have laws that require ...

What does it mean to take an anonymous HIV test?

When you take an anonymous HIV test, you get a unique identifier that allows you to get your test results.

Why is it important to disclose your HIV status?

It’s important to disclose your HIV status to your sex or needle-sharing partners even if you’re uncomfortable doing so. Communicating with each other about your HIV status means you can take steps to keep both of you healthy. The more practice you have disclosing your HIV status, the easier it will become.

What happens if you test positive for HIV?

With confidential testing, if you test positive for HIV, the test result and your name will be reported to the state or local health department to help public health officials get better estimates of the rates of HIV in the state.

Can you tell your family you have HIV?

In most cases, your family and friends will not know your test results or HIV status unless you tell them yourself. While telling your family that you have HIV may seem hard, you should know that disclosure has many benefits—telling friends and family can provide an important source of support in managing your HIV.

Can an employer know if you have HIV?

Employers. In most cases, your employer will not know your HIV status unless you tell them. But your employer does have a right to ask if you have any health conditions that would affect your ability to do your job or pose a serious risk to others.

Can you buy a self test?

You can also purchase a self-test if you want to test anonymously. Confidential testing means that your name and other identifying information will be attached to your test results. The results will go in your medical record and may be shared with your health care providers and your health insurance company. Otherwise, the results are protected by ...

How many states are required to report viral load?

As of 2020, 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico meet the criteria for requiring all CD4 and viral load data reported. Of these, 25 states and Puerto Rico, also required molecular data reporting.

How is HIV molecular data used?

HIV molecular data are used when a person enters care or re-enters care to select an appropriate treatment regimen. HIV molecular data help determine if virologic failure is due to drug resistance and determine an appropriate change in treatment. HIV molecular data can also be used to identify drug resistance trends on the population level and can be used to identify a growing cluster of infections (i.e., an area or group of individuals) in which transmission is rapidly occurring. When viral load, CD4 counts and molecular data are reported, public health agencies can more effectively allocate resources for HIV prevention and care, monitor trends, identify and respond to HIV clusters, and ensure that people with HIV are and remain in care.

Why do people with HIV need CD4?

Among people with HIV, CD4 counts are often used to monitor disease progression and determine the stage of HIV infection. Current HIV clinical management guidelines recommend CD4 and viral load testing at the time of diagnosis and regularly thereafter. HIV drug resistance testing, which generates HIV molecular data, is used when a person enters, ...

Why is molecular data important for HIV?

HIV molecular data can also be used to identify drug resistance trends on the population level and can be used to identify a growing cluster of infections (i.e., an area or group of individuals) in which transmission is rapidly occurring. When viral loads, CD4 counts and molecular data are reported, public health agencies can more effectively ...

What is HIV drug resistance testing?

HIV viral loads, CD4 cell counts, and HIV drug resistance testing are frequently conducted on samples from people with HIV for clinical purposes. Data collected from these tests can also be used to provide information about the effectiveness of and need for prevention and treatment programs.

What is the function of CD4 in HIV?

CD4 is a protein found on the surface of some white blood cells. Measuring white blood cells with CD4 (CD4 cell counts) provides a measure of a person’s immune function. Among people with HIV, CD4 counts are often used ...

What is the HIV load?

HIV viral load measurements indicate the number of copies of the HIV that are in a milliliter of a person’s blood. HIV medicine, when taken as prescribed, reduces the amount of HIV in the body (viral load) to a very low level, which keeps the immune system working and prevents illness. This is called viral suppression.

Why is it important to check for hepatitis?

Why it’s important: Some people who are living with HIV are also coinfected with hepatitis. Checking you for hepatitis A, B, and C infection can help your provider to determine if you need to be treated, or if you are a candidate for one of the existing hepatitis A or B vaccines. (Read more about how hepatitis affects people living with HIV.)

Why is it important to get a viral load test?

It’s important to get a viral load test to see the level of HIV in your blood before starting treatment and help guide the choice of HIV medications and then to get repeat tests to track your response to HIV treatment. Complete Blood Count (CBC): This is a measure of the concentration of red blood cells, white blood cells, ...

What is the CD4 count of an uninfected adult?

The CD4 count of an uninfected adult/adolescent who is generally in good health ranges from 500 cells/mm 3 to 1,600 cells/mm 3. In contrast, if HIV has destroyed so many CD4 cells that you have a CD4 count of fewer than 200/mm 3, you are considered to have progressed to stage 3 (AIDS), the most advanced stage of HIV infection. ...

Why is it important to know about HIV?

Why it’s important: For women living with HIV, abnormal cell growth in the cervix is common, and abnormal anal cells are common for both men and women living with HIV. These abnormal cells may become cancerous if they aren’t treated. Why it’s important: Some people who are living with HIV are also coinfected with hepatitis.

Why is drug resistance important?

Why it’s important: Drug resistance test results help your provider determine which HIV medicines are most likely to work for you. Serum Chemistry Panel: This panel is comprised of a series of several blood tests and helps provide information about your body's metabolism. It gives your provider information about how your kidneys ...

Why is CD4 count important?

Why it’s important: A CD4 count is a good measure of your risk of opportunistic infections and an indicator of how well your immune system is working. Treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART), medications that control the HIV, is recommended for everyone with HIV, no matter how high or low their CD4 count is.

Why are lab tests important?

Lab Tests and Why They Are Important. As part of your HIV care , your provider will order several laboratory tests. The results of these lab tests, along with your physical exam and other information you provide , will help you and your provider work together to develop the best plan to manage your HIV care so that you can get ...

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