Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ginosko!usc!ucla-cs!kpm@druco.ATT.COM
From: kpm@druco.ATT.COM (MalloyK)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: Get tested
Message-ID: <28202@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 16 Oct 89 23:20:33 GMT
References: <27888@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> <28114@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Reply-To: kpm@druco.ATT.COM (Kevin Malloy)
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO
Lines: 54
Approved: aids@cs.ucla.edu
Archive-number: 1360

In article <28114@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> chet@retix.com (Chet Mazur) writes:
>
>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
>way for your indentity to be disclosed!
>
>I would NEVER recomend a confidential test, and ALWAYS STRONGLY
>recomend an anonymous test.

I have to definitely agree with this.  The possibility for discrimination
based on a positive HIV test (or even the fact that you bothered to
have the test) is much to high to risk a CONFIDENTIAL test.  

I'll go even one step further, don't take a PSEUDONOMOUS test (i.e. under 
a false name).  Here in Colorado, you are REQUIRED BY LAW to give a 
name, address, etc. when being tested (although there's no requirement 
for positive identification), and positive test results are REQUIRED
BY LAW to be reported to the Colorado Department of Health.  Why not give
a false name?  I've heard too many "rumors" of people going to a health
clinic commonly used by gay men (VD clinic in an inner city public 
hospital), giving a pseudonym, then, when they go for their result, 
their entire medical history is on the desk in front of them.  

Me, I haven't been tested.  I haven't been out-of-state long enough to
take a test in a state where anonymous tests are available.  I found
a clinic in Laramie, Wyoming that gives tests anonymously, but I haven't
found the time to take the 2 1/2 hour drive to go to the clinic, and
I want to get tested...

I think it's important to be tested, because early intervention is saving
many, many lives.  But, I only recommend being tested when you can do
so anonymously...

					Kevin

P.S.  Colorado's HIV-infection reportability law, the first in the nation
      :-( sunsets next year.  We're already gearing up for a fight in the
      state legislature.  Is the net interested in what's going on with
      that law?

P.P.S.  Rumors have it that the Director of Colorado's Department of Health,
	Dr. Tom Vernon, is on the short list to head NIH (I think it's NIH).
	As much as we in Colorado would like to be rid of this man, 
	inflicting him on the nation would be like North Carolina getting
	rid of Jesse Helms by having him elected Vice President.  Anyone
	know anything about Dr. Vernon being on the short list fer sure?

Kevin Malloy  kpm@druco.att.com  
633 E. 11th Ave.		These views are mine and mine alone.
Denver, CO  80203		No one else would have them!
(303) 830-2937