Confidential Testing

Student Health Services offers confidential HIV testing for students enrolled at SUNY Potsdam.  Student Health Services complies with the New York law implemented June 2000 regarding name reporting for confidential HIV positive results.

Pre-Test Counseling

Student clients will be given a 45 minute appointment with a certified counselor/provider. Informational literature will include a notice that students should request a 45 minute appointment with certain counselors/providers. The counselor/provider will review the required educational content, discuss the consent form, names reporting for HIV positive test results, and the testing.  The student will sign the consent form, be offered a blank copy, and the lab requisition slip will be completed with the student's name, age, ethnic affiliation, and address at SUNY Potsdam.  The carbon of the lab requisition slip, the signed consent form, and a coded form covering these other two forms will be filed with the student's health records.  A follow up appointment will be scheduled for 2-3 weeks later for results and post test counseling.

Laboratory Procedure

The student will be escorted to the laboratory by the certified counselor/provider. The lab technician will be given the completed State requisition form.

Post-Test Counseling

The results from the New York State laboratory will be returned to the certified counselor/provider only. Results will be discussed with the patient and a follow-up visit or referral to the counseling center arranged as needed. HIV-positive students will be encouraged to discuss their positive status with their family health care provider or will be referred to an immune deficiency clinic.  HIV positive students will have their names reported to the DOH in compliance with NYS reporting laws.  Partner notification in accordance with NYS law will be initiated.  The student has the option to notify all of his/her at risk partners, or to use the PNAP program for partner notification or to use the HIV test counselor as an intermediary in partner notification if both test counselor and student agree to this option.  Domestic violence screening will be included prior to partner notification per NYS guidelines to avoid putting the HIV positive student at risk for physical, psychological or emotional harm from partners.

Record Keeping

HIV test information including the signed consent form, carbon copy of the lab requisition form, HIV test results and coded cover sheet will be part of the medical record for each student.  All medical records are kept in files according to the New York State law.