MODULE TWO: COUNSELLING - FHI 360 Center for Global Health ...

A negative result can mean one of two things….
♦The person has not been infected with the HIV virus; or
♦The person has been infected within the last 3-6 months, and the body
has not yet developed antibodies. If this is the case, then the person
should be rested again in another 3 months, during which time they
should avoid putting themselves and others at risk of HIV infection.
An indeterminate result means that it is not possible to tell if the person has
been infected with HIV based on the test results. In other words, the results are
inconclusive. This does not occur very often, but it can happen to people who….
♦Have had multiple pregnancies or miscarriages
♦Have received multiple blood transfusions
♦Have recently received an organ transplant
♦Suffer from other autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or Grave’s
disease
♦Suffer from kidney disease or are receiving dialysis treatment
♦Suffer from liver disorders
♦Suffer from some types of cancer.
People who receive indeterminate results should be re-tested again in three
months if they have engaged in HIV risk behaviours. Those who are at low risk
of HIV infection may not need to be re-tested.
Callers may experience a range of emotions upon learning their test results.
Many of these emotions will be very strong and should be acknowledged by the
counsellor. A caller who is very emotional, either in a positive or negative way
may be too distracted to hear information that is given to them. Therefore, it is
important to help the caller to explore his/her emotions and “vent” them. Once
a caller has released his/her feelings, s/he will be more receptive to receiving
other information regarding prevention, treatment and referrals.
Counsellors should always acknowledge a caller’s feelings – both those that are
directly expressed and those that are “unsaid”. Have participants refer back to
the Focus on Feelings handout from Session 4 in order to identify feelings which
might accompany the three types of test results. Following are examples of
feelings which callers might experience upon receiving the different types of test
results:
Test result
Negative
Feelings
Relieved; happy; ecstatic; unburdened; sad (if partner is
infected and the caller feels guilty);
Session 6 – Pg. 6