wild@sun.uucp (Will Doherty) (03/13/86)
I decided to take the HTLV3 Antibody test because: 1) I was worrying about my health all the time, to the point where I wouldn't exercise well for fear that I might exacerbate an AIDS or ARC condition (or so I rationalized). 2) I was practising category 1 (very likely safe) and category 2 (probably safe) sex with two partners and just didn't feel I could justify category 2 with them unless I was fairly certain I hadn't been exposed to the virus. In other words, I was worrying enough so that it couldn't hurt my mental condition all that much to find out a positive result (although I could have been underestimating the impact it would have on me) and I wanted to restrict myself to only category 1 sex if I had been exposed to the virus. I wouldn't have taken the test unless I was sure to be guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality through the alternative test sites here in California. If you decide to have a personal physician conduct the test, ask the physician not to record the result in your medical record, or anywhere else. Obviously, the decision of whether or not to take (one of) the test(s) is highly charged and completely determined by individual situation and feelings. Certainly, one should be well aware of what one is doing before taking a test which may let you know of horrible consequences to come. But not knowing and having the disease might be even worse for some. Will Doherty sun!oscar!wild
jimb@drutx.UUCP (Jim Bryant) (03/15/86)
In article <3355@sun.uucp> wild@sun.uucp (Will Doherty) writes: > I decided to take the HTLV3 Antibody test because: > [...] > > I wouldn't have taken the test unless I was sure to be > guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality through the > alternative test sites here in California. If you decide > to have a personal physician conduct the test, ask the physician > not to record the result in your medical record, or anywhere > else. > > Will Doherty > sun!oscar!wild I'd like to know what type of guarantee you can get from them that the information is confidential. If this is a government funded organization (ie. not a private doctor), who is to say that a couple months down the road the state or federal government won't confiscate the records? Also, I'd like to know the approximate price of the test from a private doctor. Does anyone dare submit it to their insurance company? Has anyone out there lost their health insurance just because they took the test? at&t information systems/denver colorado/jim bryant - k6 ...!{ihnp4,ulysses,mtuxo,pegasus,whuxl}!drutx!jimb