AHF Europe: 1 million HIV tests, 1 million stories

In Featured, Global, Global Advocacy, News by AHF

One million HIV tests is 1 million stories of happiness, sadness, sorrow, worry, relief and empowerment. At the end of 2017, AHF Europe reached this cumulative milestone after the Rapid Testing Program (RTP) launched across the region in 2009.

At the time, the premise of the RTP model was as simple as it was revolutionary – deliver HIV testing with near-instant results in non-medical settings – via convenient drop-in “checkpoints” and mobile testing units. Those who tested positive would be accompanied and linked to a treatment site, and anyone who tested negative would receive counseling on how to stay that way.

We could think of no better way to commemorate this achievement, than to let testing counselors convey in their own words what it took to reach 1 million tests and what this milestone means to them. Below is a “Q & A” with two of them.

 

Iryna Ivanenko
HIV Testing Counselor
Kyiv, Ukaine

Q: Can you share a memorable story about a testing client or a situation you encountered?

A: There are many memorable stories. There’s yesterday’s story. A 28-year-old girl came in. She has a phobia of medical personnel (“white coat syndrome”).
For 10 years she could not bring herself to get an HIV test. Eventually, after reading various online articles about HIV, including some that turned out to be inaccurate, she finally decided to come to our checkpoint.

In the waiting area, it took her over 3 hours to muster the courage to go through with the decision to get tested and she was crying the entire time. She waited for the result in my arms, because she could not bear those few painful minutes of suspense.

In the end, the result turned out negative and she radically changed her attitude toward her fears. She said that now she can plan her family.

From this story and others like it, I’m convinced over and over that AHF’s rapid testing model (without white coats) helps counselors to establish trust and understanding with clients at a moment when they may feel vulnerable and afraid.

Q: How long have you been a testing counselor with AHF?  

A: 2.5 years

Q: What motivated you to become a testing counselor? 

A: After working several years with an outpatient group, I realized how important the first consultation was for a person who had received a positive result.

Q: AHF Europe Bureau recently reached a cumulative total of 1 million tests and you helped make this happen as a testing counselor. Why do you think this milestone is significant? What does it represent to you? 

A: This is a very significant milestone for Europe. Each person from this million who has been tested receives not only knowledge of their status, but also information about HIV and STI prevention. We can also expect that the majority of people will tell their friends about the importance of HIV testing and prevention, and the information they get during testing about the transmission and treatment of HIV can significantly reduce the stigma toward HIV positive people.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job? 

A: I feel a special responsibility when I first tell a person about an HIV positive result, as it is very important for me to provide people with reliable information. I think that counseling is as important as the test itself. Many feel that only illness and loneliness are ahead. I do everything possible to convince them that HIV is another stage of their life, but one that involves thinking about their health and lifestyle.  When fear is replaced by confidence for the future – this is the biggest reward for me.

Q: What do you want the public to know about HIV testing? 

A: I would like people to know how important it is to detect HIV early and that rapid HIV testing is safe, accessible, quick and easy.

 

Evgeniya Burina
HIV Testing Counselor
Yekaterinburg, Russia

Q: Can you share a memorable story about a testing client or a situation you encountered?

A: I mainly test people with dependencies – I understand them. It is obvious that many injecting drug users realize the risks and in most cases they are ready for a positive result. So testing those who stop by “by chance,” or drop in is always more difficult, and positive cases are more memorable.

I worked in one of the districts of Yekaterinburg, where we usually test the general population. A young couple walked by and decided to get tested. There were no obvious risks – we had discussed HIV and safe behavior, and were sitting together, waiting for the results.

The couple was planning to start a family and so they agreed to receive the results together. When the results were ready, the young man tested HIV positive. It was a traumatic experience for the young couple. The post-test counselling session was long and difficult.

They showed up at the AIDS center in a couple of days, and the man’s result was confirmed. He started antiretroviral treatment within several weeks. We still stay in touch, and recently I have learned that the girl was pregnant – and HIV-negative. Stories like that inspire me a whole lot.

Q: How long have you been a testing counselor with AHF?  

A: I began working with AHF’s rapid testing program five years ago. I worked at a rehab center first but wanted to do more. I went to the Yekaterinburg AIDS center to offer my services as a volunteer. There I learned how to do pre- and post-test counseling, and for the last five years, rapid HIV testing has been my main job.

Q: What motivated you to become a testing counselor? 

A: I have always known that HIV testing was difficult to access for people with low social status and chemical dependency. Several years ago rapid testing was not widely known – many of my friends were shy to get tested and did not know where to go.

I wanted to make rapid testing truly accessible to people. Together with the Yekaterinburg testing team, we always knew that we need to be extremely open to the client and we need to reach out to them with testing. We began to bring rapid testing to rehabs, homeless shelters, penitentiary facilities, to the city streets, and so on. Within the AHF model, testing now became really simple and accessible for all the groups.

Q: AHF Europe Bureau recently reached a cumulative total of 1 million tests and you helped make this happen as a testing counselor. Why do you think this milestone is significant? What does it represent to you? 

A: One million tested is like the whole population of my native Yekaterinburg! It is a great number. I am proud that I have been a part of this. For example, in 2017 I tested several thousands of people, from those who inject drugs and those in the general population.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job? 

A: I know that more people tested means more lives are saved. There is also no doubt that many of these one million were first-time testers who learned about their status and whose lives were saved by this knowledge.

Also, I like to enjoy small things. I enjoy giving out condoms to students who cannot afford them. I like going to homeless shelters to tell people about HIV because many have never heard about it in detail. I get excited to test injecting drug users for the first time in their lives; it is their first test after years and years of risk-taking. I enjoy when an AIDS center doctor tells me that I have brought a client to them just in time. And even more, I like to tell people that their result is negative and be rewarded by their smiles.

Q: What do you want the public to know about HIV testing? 

A: There are just several small things a person needs to know about an HIV test. It is quick, accessible, safe, free, painless, accurate and simple!

 

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