HIV Testing
The following locations offer HIV testing in Peterborough and the Four Counties:
Positive Care Clinic
Nominal Testing
Wednesdays and Thursdays at PARN – 9am to 4pm
1-866-303-2420 or 905-579-8711 ext. 3127
Peterborough Public Health Sexual Health Clinic
Nominal Testing
705-748-2021
Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit Sexual Health Clinic
Nominal Testing
1-866-888-4577 ext. 1205
Trent University Health Services
Nominal Testing
(Trent students only)
705-748-1481
Fleming College Health Services
Nominal Testing
(Fleming students only)
705-749-5557
The following locations offer HIV testing in communities neighbouring Peterborough and the Four Counties:
Durham Regional Health Unit
Nominal and Anonymous/Rapid Testing
Bowmanville – 905-433-8901 or 1-800-314-8533
Oshawa – 905-433-8901 or 1-800-314-8533
Pickering – 905-420-8781
Port Perry – 905-985-4891 or 1-866-845-1868
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Nominal Testing
613-966-5500 or 1-800-267-2803, ext. 243
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
Nominal Testing
705-721-7520 or 877-721-7520
For information on testing sites across Ontario, click here or call the AIDS and Sexual Health Info Line at: 1-800-668-2437.
What kinds of tests are available?
The standard HIV test used in Ontario is a fourth generation combination test that detects both HIV p24 antigens and antibodies reactive to both HIV types 1 and 2. Antigens can be detected very early after infection, while antibodies may take up to three months to appear. This means that you should seek testing and the counselling that comes with it early on. If your test is negative or non-reactive, you will be asked to test again at a date three months from your risk of exposure. If after three months, and no other risk of exposure, your test results are negative or non-reactive, you do not have HIV. It usually takes two to three weeks for an HIV test to be completed and results returned to you.
In Ontario, there are three ways to get tested for HIV: nominal, non-nominal and anonymous testing.
You may request either a nominal or non-nominal test from any doctor or nurse that does HIV testing.
Nominal testing means you are tested using your name on all paperwork including lab requisitions.
If your nominal test is positive for HIV, the testing laboratory will report your HIV infection, your name, date of birth, gender, and contact information to Public Health. Your local public health unit will contact you for counseling and support, and will refer you to HIV-related services.
Non-nominal testing, sometimes referred to as confidential testing, means that while the clinic or doctors office will have your personal information on file, a code is used on paperwork like lab requisitions. This helps protect your confidentiality especially in situations where your may have family or friends that work in the lab, clinic or hospital setting that might see your paperwork and you don’t want them to know what you are being tested for or what the results are when they come back.
Anonymous testing means you are tested without having to give your name or personal information and will take the standard two to three weeks for results.
Point-of-Care testing, which simply requires a drop of blood from a finger prick with test result available in a few minutes, is also considered anonymous since no name is attached to the test.
If your rapid test is non-reactive, it means HIV is not showing in your blood at the time of the test. It can take up to 3 months (see above) for HIV to show in your blood, and the counselor will talk to you about doing a follow-up test to make sure you do not have HIV.
If your rapid test is “reactive”, a second test is needed to confirm your HIV status. While this can be done anonymously, it is important to understand that until a nominal or non-nominal test has been done which confirms that you are the person with HIV you will not be able to seek treatment. Talk with your doctor, nurse or counsellor and make an informed decision.
Am I at risk?
Transmission of HIV can occur when you are exposed to a body fluid with enough of the virus in it for you to become infected. These are most commonly blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal secretions, and with infants, breast milk.
You should get tested for HIV if you:
- have had sex of any kind without a protective barrier (like a condom or dental dam) with a person who is HIV positive or whose HIV status you don’t know,
- have shared needles, mouth pieces/pipes, piercing or tattoo equipment with a person who is HIV positive or whose HIV status you don’t know,
- or if you think that you may have been exposed to HIV or any other sexually transmitted infection (STI).
What else do I need to know before I get tested?
A simple blood test is all you need. Any doctor, nurse practitioner, or midwife in Ontario can order an HIV test (see HIV testing section). Counselling should happen before and after every HIV test performed, regardless of your results. This is to:
- assess your risk for HIV
- make sure you fully understand the testing process
- tell you what you need to know if you do test positive for HIV
- make sure that you and those around you are safe
For more information on HIV testing click here.
Some information adapted from: HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario. (2013). HIV Testing. Retrieved from: http://www.halco.org/areas-of-law/health/hiv-testing
Acronyms/Abbreviations
AIDS
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
ASO
AIDS service organization
CATIE
Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange
HAART
Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy
HCV
Hepatitis C virus
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
IDU
People who inject drugs
MSM
Men who have sex with men
NEP
Needle exchange program
PEP
Post-exposure prophylaxis, the use of antiretroviral drugs after a single high-risk event to stop HIV from making copies of itself and spreading
PHA
People living with HIV and/or AIDS
PHAC
Public Health Agency of Canada
PrEP
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, an antiretroviral drug that can be taken by an HIV negative person before potential HIV exposure
STBBI
Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections
Terms
Anonymous Testing
Anonymous testing means that you are tested without having to give your name or personal information and it will take two to three weeks for results
CD4 Count
A test that indicates the strength of one’s immune system and can be used to predict the risk of complications and debilitating infections. This is often used in combination with the HIV viral load test.
Co-infection
Having two infections at the same time. For example, a person infected with both HIV and hepatitis C or HIV and tuberculosis, has a co-infection. With co-infections, the progression of either disease can potentially be accelerated as a result of infection with the other disease.
Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy
A therapy that involves multiple anti-HIV drugs and is prescribed, before AIDS symptoms are developed, to HIV positive people.
Nominal Testing
a form of testing where your name is on all paperwork including lab requisitions. People in the lab, clinic or hospital may see your paperwork and know what you are being tested for. Staff are bound by confidentiality and will face penalties for inappropriate disclosure of your information.
Non-Nominal Testing (Confidential Testing)
This is when the clinic or doctor’s office will have your personal information on file, but on all paperwork like lab requisitions they use a code to identify you. This helps to protect your confidentiality especially if you know people who work in a lab, clinic or hospital setting or believe it is possible that someone you know could see your information. This stops someone who sees your paperwork from knowing what you are being tested for and what the results are.
Non-Reactive Test
If a rapid test is non-reactive, it means that the virus is not showing up in your blood at the time of the test. It can take up to 3 months for HIV to show in your blood. It is a good idea to get a follow-up test to ensure the test is accurate.
Notifiable Disease
A disease that is considered to be of such importance to public health that its occurrence is required to be reported to public health authorities.
Perinatal Transmission
The transmission of HIV from an HIV-infected mother to her child either in-utero, during childbirth, or through breastfeeding.
Pilot Phase
Activity that has been organized as a trial or test period.
Point-of-Care Testing
A test for Hep C or HIV that requires a drop of blood from a finger prick with a test result available in a few minutes.
Population at Risk
The population at risk represents those persons at risk of contracting a disease.
Risk Factor
An aspect of someone’s behaviour or lifestyle, a characteristic with which a person is born, or an event that he or she has been exposed to that is known to be associated with a health-related condition. A behavioural risk factor describes a specific behaviour that carries a proven risk of a particular outcome. In research about HIV and/or AIDS, you will often see the term “HIV-related risk behaviour” to describe a behaviour that, when practised, carries a proven risk of HIV infection.
Reactive Test
If a rapid test comes back “reactive” it means that you have encountered the virus at some point, but does not guarantee you are positive. It is important to know that until you have a second test that confirms your status, you will not be able to seek treatment. Talk with your doctor, nurse or counselor and make an informed decision.
Seroconversion
The root “sero” means the serum or the watery portion of blood. In research about HIV and/or AIDS, seroconversion refers to the development of detectable antibodies to HIV in the blood as a result of HIV infection. A person who goes from being HIV negative to HIV positive is said to have seroconverted or is a seroconverter.
Serodiscordant
Relationships where one partner is infected with HIV and the other is not.
Street-Involved
People who are engaged in street activities (such as illicit drug use, sex work, etc) that may increase their risk for HIV and STI transmission.
Viral Load
The viral load test is a quantitative measurement of HIV nucleic acid (RNA) that provides important information that is used (in conjunction with the CD4 cell count) to monitor the status of HIV disease, guide recommendations for therapy and predict the future course of the HIV infection/disease.