ABSTRACT
Researchers and health professionals are grappling to find a cure as well as effective treatment strategies for those infected. And although HIV, the virus believed by many to be the cause of Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), has been found in nearly all cultures around the world, many individuals have maintained an attitude of invincibility regarding this usually fatal syndrome. However, there is no population or subgroup who can claim immunity from this ravaging disease. If an individual does decide to seek an HIV test, it is essential that the test be performed under anonymous, rather than merely confidential, conditions. Counseling must be offered before and after an individual decides to take an HIV-antibody test. Issues to be covered in pretest counseling include reassurance that confidentiality will be maintained and that having an HIV-positive test result does not mean having full-blown AIDS.
