 |
 |
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
|||||||
 |
||||||||||
| Office
Hours: Monday - Friday 10:30am-6pm |
 |
|||||||||
 |
Resources | |
ACAS Resources : | |||||||
|
HIV/AIDS info About HIV testing About HIV testing HIV testing involves a blood test for antibodies to the HIV virus. Usually within 3 to 6 months after infection, the body will develop antibodies specific to the HIV virus to help combat the disease. The test will provide the necessary information in confirming whether the antibody to the HIV virus is present in your body and hence, will verify the presence of the virus itself. If the test comes back positive, it means that a person has been exposed to the virus that causes AIDS. It is important to note that the positive result of your HIV test does not mean that you have AIDS. The test is fairly accurate and usually, a positive result is not given until a couple of tests have been tried (twice with the ELISA test, and once with the Western Blot). Although a person may feel and look healthy, he/she can still infect others. A positive test also does not mean that your life is over and that you now be reckless in your living. There is an extremely serious risk of infecting others as well as a risk of re-infecting yourself. The HIV virus is a retro virus which mutates constantly. Unsafe behavior can cause infection by a different strand of the virus, as well as by other viruses. If the test comes back negative, it means that at the time when the blood was drawn, there was no antibody present in the blood. Be sure to note that it can take up to 6 months for the blood to sero-convert (manufacture antibodies to the virus). In other words, you may still be infected if you've participated in unsafe behavior (such as unsafe sex, use of unsanitary needles, etc.) within the last six months. Testing for the HIV virus is extremely important for a variety of reasons. Knowledge of your test results may alleviate some stress caused by your own uncertainties. Testing also confirms your antibody status and may help remind you to keep practicing safer-sex and safer drug-use. Testing can also can be very beneficial, since early treatment, intervention, and support can all help in delaying the onset of the virus' symptoms. Below is a list of resources and testing centres that you can contact and visit for an HIV test. Remember to call these centres before you go in. Some have drop-in centres, others are by appointment only, and some have both options available. Another important thing to note is that not all of the resources below are anonymous or confidential. Although many of these centres provide anonymous testing, ask and make sure if confidentiality is of importance to you. Your doctor cannot test you anonymously and will require you to present your OHIP card. If you test positive, your doctor is required to report your name, address, birth date, etc. to public health authorities. This is the reason many people choose anonymous testing, but in the end, the decision is of your choosing. Resources and HIV testing centres in the Greater Toronto Area Birth Control & STD Information Centre Brampton-Caledon STD Clinic Central Toronto Community Health Centres - SHOUT Clinic
Centre medico-social communautaire George Harvey Collegiate Institute, Drop-in, Hassle Free Clinic Health Services for Street Youth HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO) HIP for Youth Centre The House Community Health Centre (Planned Parenthood) Mississauga East STD Clinic (Crestwood Centre) Mississauga West STD Clinic Queen West Community Health Centre Regent Park Community Health Centre Rexdale Community Health Centre Toronto Public Health, York Offices, Sexual Health Clinics
Youth Clinical Services
|
|||||||||
|
Special Projects | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||