There's no sexual way that I could be HIV-positive, but I wonder whether I should be tested anyway, given all the publicity about its pervasiveness. Is there any reason for me to be tested, or is it unnecessary? Is there any reason I should avoid being tested?

Kendra

Great question. There is no single right answer, but I think I can help. First, I want to address your statement, "There's no sexual way that I could be HIV-positive." The only way that could be true is if you have never had sex of any kind. As former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop told us, the only sure way to avoid getting HIV from sex is complete abstinence. Barring that, one should use condoms.

Now, who should be tested? Certainly, we should not test every person who has ever had sex. For one thing, that would be very expensive. Also, since no test is absolutely perfect, if you test enough people, you are bound to have some incorrectly positive results. I must tell you, though, that under normal circumstances, the test is really, really, really accurate. I have never seen a proven false-positive result.

I would recommend testing for people who have ever injected illegal intravenous drugs, for men who've had sex with men, and for women who've had sex with men who have had sex with men. I would also test a person of either sex who has had multiple sex partners -- particularly if there are more than three or four partners per year, if the sex was unprotected (without using condoms), or if not much was known about any of the sex partners. Finally, I would also test anyone with an unexplained long-lasting illness.

In any case, if you are really worrying about HIV and AIDS, you should be tested. The exam costs about $40 (U.S.) and is completely safe and usually confidential. If the test is negative, it will take away your worry. If it is positive, you will be able to get treatment sooner than otherwise. So by all means get tested and put the issue to rest.