ABSTRACT
As the preceding chapters have discussed, in the 1980s HIV had an immense impact on the lives ofmany gay men. During the last ten years discussions ofsafer sex, condom use and sexual negotiation have become part of the common currency of gay lifestyles. Similarly the issue of testing for HIV antibodies has been widely discussed, even though it has remained controversial ever since the antibody test became available in 1985. (The term 'HIV antibody' is used to indicate that the most common test, ELISA, looks for the body's antibodies to HIV, not for HIV itself. However, using the term 'HIV antibody test' is cumbersome, and for the rest of this chapter we will use the term 'HIV test'.)
For any individual, the decision to take an HIV test is fraught with difficulty and anxiety. Over the years the advantages and disadvantages have been well rehearsed in the gay press, though no consensus has emerged as yet. Two main reasons are advanced in favour of testing: that it helps to sustain safer sex; and, in the case of an HIV positive diagnosis, that it enables early medical intervention which may delay the progression to AIDS.
