THE National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) is concerned about the increasing trend of persons posting their HIV test results on social media.

Currently, there is an estimated 8,200 persons in Guyana living with HIV. This is according to Dr. Niccollette Boatswain, Deputy Programme Manager, NAPS, during a press conference on Monday at NAPS’ Boardroom, Hadfield Street and College Road, Georgetown. “We know that there is still stigma attached to HIV Aids, but doing this may add rather than take away from the stigma so many persons still endure,” Dr. Boatswain said.

The Programme Manager noted that the holiday season was not a time to disregard healthy choices and their consequences. She said efforts should be made to ensure that all Guyanese were protected in a way that was effective for each partner and couple. “A simple way of doing this is by reminding or remembering the A,B,C,D,E of HIV prevention; A- Abstain, B- Be faithful, C- Condom use, D- Don’t do drugs, and E- Education and awareness. Choose the options that are right for you, and if you have any questions contact NAPS,” Dr. Boatswain said.

Noting that this year’s World Aids Day theme was “Communities make the difference” she said everyone should be aware of the steps involved in getting an HIV test done at sites that offer voluntary counselling and testing.

She explained that voluntary counselling and testing were a specific form of HIV testing that included counselling before and after an HIV test. The Programme Manager noted that there were HIV testing services offered at private laboratories (labs) and facilities that did not include counselling, hence only testing.

“But at all voluntary counselling and testing sites, it is the client that voluntarily accesses the service for an HIV test, and they must be counselled before and after the test is done, regardless of the result. Couples can go and get tested together and we encourage this, as each partner should see it as his or her responsibility to know his or her HIV status, you should not depend on the HIV test results of your partner to make healthy choices regarding yourself, everyone should know their status,” Dr. Boatswain said.
She explained that there were 41 public sites and seven civil society organisations nationally that offer voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services and NAPS can be contacted for more details on the sites.

Meanwhile, Deborah Success, National VCT Coordinator of NAPS said all involved in VCT testing must follow a testing algorithm. “Every person that will be accessing an HIV test in Guyana will first be given the determined test. Once that determined test result is non-reactive, then we will report and inform the client that the HIV antibodies we checked for in their blood was not detected, it therefore means that they would be given a negative result,” the VCT coordinator said.

She continued: “If when the first test is done, the result is reactive which means that the HIV antibodies that we test for have been detected in their blood, then we will move to test two; this is the Uni-Gold, that is a confirmatory test, now once the results from the Uni-Gold is the same as the determined, meaning that it is reactive, we will report and inform the client that the HIV antibodies that were checked for have been detected in their blood.”
The VCT coordinator said if the Uni-Gold, which is the second test shows a different result from the first test, the determinant, then “we will move to the Stat Pak or the tie breaker, which is a third test. If the Stat Pak result is non-reactive, then the client will be informed and they will be counselled accordingly, in most cases we hardly have to resort to the Stat Pak.”

Further, she explained that no form of identification is needed when a person does an HIV test. Only their initials and date of birth are requested.

“This information is used to develop a unique patient code to avoid using names of persons. However, when the test is completed and diagnosed HIV positive, we will take some further information for that client because that client will be required to be navigated and enrolled into the care and treatment programme so they can be clinically managed,” the VCT coordinator said.