HIV TESTING, COUNSELING, AND REFERRAL

 Clinic Hours and Location
 Who Does The Testing?
 What Is the Test Like?
 What Happens at the Lab?
 When Should I Get Tested?

Hours and Location

No appointments are necessary but please arrive 30 minutes prior to closing time to ensure that counselors have adequate time to provide testing.
You can walk into the clinic or catch the Outreach Van at the following times and locations:

Outreach Van

HARC provides anonymous and free HIV counseling, testing and referral services through its outreach van at a variety of locations in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.  These services are available four out of five days per week.  Please contact HARC directly for more information about the outreach van schedule and locations.

Clinic Location	Clinic Hours
Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project Community Center 325 Braun Court  Ann Arbor, MI 48104	Sundays	9pm - 11pm
	Mondays	3pm - 5pm

Clinic Location	Clinic Hours
University of Michigan Office of LGBT Affairs Michigan Union  Ann Arbor, MI 48109	Mondays(During Academic Session)	6pm - 7pm

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Who Does The Testing?

Our testing clinic is well known for its friendly, comfortable and safe environment. All test counselors are trained and certified by the Michigan Department of Community Health. The testing clinic staff is very knowledgeable and is available to answer any questions you might have.

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What Are The Test Like?

At HARC, we do free and anonymous testing. This means you don't have to give your name, and you don't have to pay. After the test we'll give you a card with a number on it. When you come back with your card in 1-2 weeks, we'll give you your results. If you forget, you can come back with your card for up to 60 days. (Later than that, you have to retake the test).

Another bonus with testing at HARC is that we use Orasure. Orasure collects a sample from the mouth. Even though saliva is not one of the four body fluids that transmit HIV, Orasure collects a fluid called Oral Mucosal Transudate (OMT). Big word, simple meaning. It means its fast, incredibly accurate, and there are no needles involved.

This test is simple. First you talk to the test counselor for about 15 - 20 minutes, they'll ask you some questions and answer your questions. After that, you put this swab in your mouth between your cheek and gum for 2 minutes. Then we send it off to the lab. Orasure is over 99% accurate.

Remember, You have to come back to get your results. You cannot get them over the phone.

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What Happens at the Lab?

The first thing that happens is the lab runs a test that looks for HIV antibodies. That means the test doesn't actually see the virus, it sees your body's reaction to the virus. When a virus enters your body, your body develops antibodies to that virus. It's the antibodies job to fight off the virus.

First the lab will run a test called the ELISA. This test looks for anything that could possibly be HIV antibodies. That means the test is "sensitive". If this test thinks it sees something like HIV antibodies two out of three times it is run, then the lab sends the sample on to another test.

The second test is called the Western Blot. This test looks only for the HIV antibodies. That means the test is "specific". If this test finds HIV antibodies your result will come back "reactive", that means you have tested positive for HIV. If no HIV antibodies are found your results will come back "non-reactive", that means you have tested negative for HIV, IF the window period is over.

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When should I get tested?

Remember, it's the antibodies we test for, not the virus itself. Because everyone's body is different, each person's body will develop antibodies at a different speed. This is called the window period. On average, it takes approximately 3 weeks for HIV antibodies to show up in someone's blood if they have been exposed to HIV. That means if you think you might have been exposed to HIV, you should come in 3 weeks later for a test.

Even if you test negative at 3 weeks, there is a chance your body hasn't developed antibodies yet. Most people will develop antibodies by 3 months. Because of this, you should come back 3 months from the date you might have been exposed to make sure you are truly HIV negative. In some cases, it can take up to 6 months for people to test positive, but this is rare.

It is important to know that if you get into another situation where you put yourself at risk of being exposed to HIV, you have to start counting again from that date. So if you put yourself at risk again before the 3 months is up, you can come in to get tested, but you should start counting again from the most recent time of possible exposure.

You may have heard that a person can live with HIV for 10 years and not have any symptoms. This is true, however, if they went in for an HIV test, they would test positive within the first 6 months (as described above).

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