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Serving you for 25 Years 805 Woodlawn Road. Guelph, ON Phone: (519) 822 9200 www.guelphinfinitinissan.com . inf0@guelphinfinitinissan.com Guelph Infiniti Face of AIDS has changed benefits about gelling ammymuusly tested instead " going to your family doc, tor. "lf you an responsibly and. say a condom breaks or you get drunk une night and don't use a condom. if you go to a doctor and get test- ed, we see that as very health-conscious responsi- ble behaviour and so dues your doctor." Roberts said. "Unfortunately. when you go to apply for insurance. they ask for permission to see your medical records and when they do that, they will see iyotrgetting tested) as a liability. Even if you test three times and you test negative every time. that would send up warning sig- nals to insurance c0mpa- nies and they may refuse to give you the insurance. "This way. if people are tested anonymously. there is no actual record created because it's all done with numbers. It's one of those times when it's good to only be a number to the govern- ment." Upon being tested, Roberts asks the patient a series of questions about the person's past sexual history from either when they were last tested or else since their first sexual experience. While some of the line of questioning can seem extremely personal. ranging from your past sexual expe- riences or if yrou've been a victim of sexual assault. Roberts comforts and assures that the person is always free to skip any ques- tions that they don't feel comfortable with. The ques- tions are only being asked to determine their risk. The blood test is painless and involves having one vial of blood drawn. which then gets couriered to London for testing. Two antibody screens are performed. If the body has been exposed m HIV, the body will have produced an ami- body to try and rrght it. If than; are nountibodies found in the blood. it means. you‘re not infected with HIV. $ I 5 OFF WINE Om: WEEK LEFT TO MAKE YOUR WINE FOR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS! GRAND Cm; - BREW on PREMISE " BCVVLES REGJLAH Qr+-t-9 ILLAGE WINE WORKS Wnu Ir' HF4ftr!hqr'fv F‘p 'C E S t ,1 A 'tr AT rt JOJQr H) B ., ,-';'1er L _E'- 7 If any antibodies are detect. ed. the blood " courier) immediately in Iurunlu lalr oratories " u confirmatory test which searches for HIV. [he tests are back at ACCKWA try the following ihursday. and Roberts then shares the results with the patient. ACCKWA offers several other services aside from free testing, including a nee- dle exchange program which provides supplies such as syringes to injection drug users as an attempt to reduce the spread of HIV. The organization also offers education. support and advocacy to individuals infected and affected by AIDS and HIV with the help of their support services and community outreach pro- grams. including a youth group for gay, lesbian, bisex- ual and transgendered peo- ple ages 18 to 25. Through effective promotion and education. the organization is strongly working towards decreasing the continued risk of AIDS and HIV throughout the region. But putting all the facts aside and pushing through all the practical reasons, Roberts said one of the biggest things to know when getting tested is that there's treatment - and there is hope. "The goal of treatment is to keep people HIV- positive so that they don't progress to AIDS," Roberts explained. "Fifteen to 20 years ago, we only had one drug available. Most people became resis- tant to the drug after about 18 months and after the diagnosis of AIDS. most people were dead in about two years. "Today we have had peo- ple who had full-blown AIDS that have had it for nine years in this region. People are certainly living much longer and with a bet» ter quality of life." n, . Chronicle freelancer Ryan Connelly three-part series. Hiding AIDS, In?! mm time next "rrek. Elli-AV? D I ' H" ' N I u Nun,le Now l, l 1 k?r"