What is the difference between confidential and anonymous HIV antibody testing?
For a confidential HIV antibody test you give your name and contact information to a test counselor, health care provider or doctor and the test result is entered into your medical records. If the HIV antibody test results are positive, the health care provider must send your name and information to the State Department of Health (DOH); the State DOH then sends it to your local DOH. The local DOH will possibly contact you for more information about past partners to notify them to be tested as they may have been exposed. Your name will not be used in the correspondence to past partners for your anonymity and safety. For more information about the Partner Notification Law passed in June 2000, please go to GMHC.org (see testing info). For an anonymous HIV antibody test, you do not give your name or contact information. People tested are given a code number, which they use to get their test results when they return. An anonymous test result is NOT recorded in a person’s medical record and
