While Vermont CARES certainly lauds new tools for Vermonters to get tested for HIV, we also remain strong advocates for the counseling, conversation, and risk reduction that comes with getting an HIV test with a trained HIV testing counselor.
You may have heard recently about OraSure’s rapid-result HIV test – called OraQuick – coming up for sale soon for home use. This is, happily, the same test kit that we use in our offices and we find this technology effective, easy-to-use, and accurate.
However, so much of what makes HIV testing valuable lies in the conversation you can have with your HIV counselor when you meet with one of our staff. As a non-judgmental person who can listen to your potential HIV transmission risks, and answer whatever questions you might have, HIV counseling is one of the most effective means of actually stopping the spread of the virus. Learn more about HIV testing with Vermont CARES, and see a map of our offices, here.
So much of what we may hear out in the community – through online forums, or even from some trained medical professionals – may not really give you the information you need, nor the support or encouragement (just that little bit!) that you might need to actually make changes to keep yourself safer moving forward.
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