Operating Procedure 153-31
June 14, 2010
(1)
pre and post test counseling by an HIV Counselor,
(2)
informing person to be tested of the confidential treatment of information
obtained and test results
(3)
informing person tested that a positive HIV/AIDS test result will be reported to
the Department of Health as required by law,
(4)
person to be tested will be informed of the two (2) types of testing, confidential
and anonymous,
(5)
if the person agrees to be tested, a signature is required on the consent form,
Consent for Confidential Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test (Department of Health
Form 1818, page 1) (Attachment 1), and must be witnessed.
6.
General:
a.
A transmissible virus, HIV is the underlying cause of AIDS. Its transmission requires:
intimate sexual contact via vaginal or rectal intercourse or oral sex; parenteral spread as among
intravenous drug abusers, or administration of infected blood or blood products; and perinatally
from infected mothers to their newborn. There is no evidence to suggest that spread occurs
through the air or by casual contact. HIV/AIDS is predominantly a semen and blood transmitted
disease.
b.
There is, at present, no vaccine to prevent infection nor curative treatment for
HIV/AIDS, although advances have been made in improving the quality and length of lives of
HIV/AIDS persons through the development of antiviral medication and improved testing and
monitoring technology. Educating the general public of the risk behaviors for HIV/AIDS and the
availability of testing (anonymous and confidential) is the best defense in helping to prevent the
transmission of the HIV virus.
c.
HIV infection causes immunosuppression and the risk for active tuberculosis is high in
persons with tuberculosis infection and HIV infection.
For this reason, persons who are
tuberculin skin test negative and HIV sero-positive should be further evaluated for tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis residents with HIV infection may not respond to standard tuberculosis therapy.
(Reference: Florida State Hospital Operating Procedure 153-4, Tuberculosis Control Program.)
d.
The following procedures are to be considered with the HIV/AIDS Control Program but
require additional guidelines and are covered more specifically in the following Florida State
Hospital Operating Procedures:
(1)
Florida State Hospital Operating Procedure 153-33, Sexually Transmitted
Disease Control Program.
(2)
Florida State Hospital Operating Procedure 150-43, Family Planning Services.
(3)
Florida State Hospital Operating Procedure 153-29, Hepatitis Control Program.
7.
Procedure:
a.
Policy on Counseling and Testing:
(1)
HIV Counseling Services are to be provided by staff who have completed
specific training and are certified as HIV Counselors.
3