Free AIDS Tests at UHS on the Rise

Contrary to popular opinion, there is dating at Harvard. In fact, there are quite a few people who manage to develop serious relationships, and inevitably some of these relationships lead to the question of sex. And for many, sexual intimacy is complicated by fear of HIV transmission.

Prompted by data compiled by Aids Outreach Education (AEO), University Health Services (UHS) established at task force in 1996 to study the need of HIV testing and preventative counseling on campus.

Following the urging og he Undergraduate Council and a recommendation by the task force--composed of students and UHS officials--the campus health center inaugurated anonymous HIV testing in 1997. November 18th marked the one-year anniversary of the new service.

According to UHS's preliminary review of the new program, the implementation of anonymous testing has been a success.

"An evaluation of the first year of operation has been very positive and UHS remains committed to the anonymous HIV testing program and the ongoing evaluation of the service," says Linda J. Frazier, program manager of health promotion of the Center for Wellness and Health Communication.

During its first year of operation, UHS had the capacity to administer 300 tests and tested 250 individuals. The program has since expanded to a capacity of 400 by extending clinic hours and adding a weekly evening clinic, Frazier says.

The new service has attracted a diverse clientele: 53 percent of those tested were undergraduates, 44 percent graduate students and 3 percent faculty, staff or others.

More women than men sought tests in the first year. Fifty-nine percent of those tested were women. The racial and ethnic backgrounds of those tested was representative of the student population as a whole, Frazier says.

The change in testing policy followed state legislation that cut funding to state facilities that provided tests for individuals in 'high-risk' categories. Students placed in these categories could no longer go to local hospitals for anonymous tests, and UHS tried to provide an alternative.

"We worked with UHS to provide a program that was open to all Harvard students," says Julie A. Karp '98, spokesperson for AIDS Education and Outreach (AEO). "There was a fear that some people were in danger of losing access to fair testing."

UHS's policy now mirrors most of the other universities in the Ivy League. Representatives from both Cornell and Columbia University said they have provided anonymous testing since the mid-80s.

Laura Pinsky, spokesperson for Columbia's health services, said that the awareness of anonymous testing was very important for her patients.

"Last year, we administered over 1,000 tests for a community of about 10,000. Fotunatly, most were negative, "she said.

Last year, there were 697 tests administered at Cornell, which has a student population of 19,000. Janis Talbot, the director of Cornell's Health Education department, says that this represents a drop in the number of tests.

"There is a very strong correlation between the number of tests and the visibility of the disease, "Talbot says. "After Magic Johnson was diagnosed, we had a surge of tests."

Before anonymous testing was implemented, UHS offered confidential testing.

"A confidential test is attached to your medical record," Karp says.

"There was always the possibility that it could be the source of some future discrimination."

When an individual is tested anonymously, a pseudonym is used by the patient and by the staff, and the only marking on the test is a number.

Patients have reported satisfaction with the administration of anonymous testing, giving the service an average of 4.87 points on a scale of one to five and 98.3 per cent said they would refer someone to UHS for anonymous testing.

"When I went in for my test, I wasn't very willing to talk about my sexual history [with the counsellor],"says a senior who was recently tested at UHS. "But he was very effective, and now I am able to isolate the incidents where I was at risk. That's a good thing."

"I used New York as my code word," he says. "Now there is nothing to attach me to the test."

The most frequently cited reason for seeking an anonymous test was "self-referral" while 30 percent pointed to a new relationship and six percent to a change in contraceptive method.

"It just makes sense now to be careful," says the recently-tested senior. "My girlfriend and I felt it was a necessary."

"I felt that I would be okay," he says, "but when I read the word 'negative' I was so relieved."

UHS will release formal findings on the first year of testing later this year. According to Frazier, the task force plans to continue studying the state of AIDS education and resourcs on campus and will issue further recommendations on reducing high-risk behavior among students.

In a related effort, an AEO sub committee has completed a survey of condom availability on campus and plans to issue recommendations, Frazier says.

Students can make appointments to be tested by calling 495-2139 or call the Center for Wellness and Health Communication for information at 495-9649. Clinic hours are Monday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 4 to 8 p.m. and Friday 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

--Elizabeth S. Zuckerman contributed to the reporting of this story.