Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucla-cs!skaron@eagle.wesleyan.edu
From: skaron@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: Get tested
Message-ID: <28136@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 15 Oct 89 11:32:02 GMT
References: <27888@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> <28114@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
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Approved: aids@cs.ucla.edu
Archive-number: 1352

In article <28114@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>, chet@retix.retix.com (Chet Mazur) writes:
> I have one this to change in this post.... get an ANONYMOUS test and
> not a CONFIDENTAIL one..... If you don't understand the difference
> I'll explain....
> 
> CONFIDENTAIL: Between you and you Dr. or health care profession there
> is personally indentifiable information (name, SSN, etc.), which
> could, by accident or on purpose be disclosed to an inappropraite party.
> 
> ANONYMOUS:    NO PERSONALLY INDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION is given.... no
> was for your indentity to be disclosed!
> 
> I would NEVER recomend a confidential test, and ALWAYS STRONGLY
> recomend an anonymous test.

NEVER is a very,strong statement...Just a couple of days ago,I would have said
almost the same thing, but after going through a guided image of an anonymous
test with a counselor who does anonymous testing, my opinion has changed
slightly. What bothered me through the image was that I felt like I was ONLY a
number, nothing more...Furthermore, in this guided image I wound up testing
reactive (positive), and then not to have anyone even slightlty know me made me
very upset.  I felt as if I was only another statistic to the counselor. 

She (the counselor) said that this can be a common feeling among people getting
tested. The bottom line is this: if you are really worried about an information
leak (yes, it can happen,but not as often as people like to think.) then take
an ANONYMOUS test (but remember, there is a way for information to leak...e.g.
You telling someone,someone recognizing you at the test site,etc.).  If you
feel uncomfortable being only a number,and feel more comfortable if you were
being counseled as an identifiable person. Then you might consider a
confidential test.

Also by taking a confidential test, the couselor can make sure you have proper
counseling if you test reactive. In anonymous,there is more of a possibility
you won't come back if you test positive.

But me personally, I would probably still go the anonymous route...I'm just
giving the other side of the story.

                                                 -Steve Karon
                                                  SKaron@eagle.wes.edu
                                            or    SKARON@wesleyan.bitnet