Do you know your status?

We are trying to encourage all of the members of Operation HIV to get tested before the next testing day at the church, that way they can help out instead of standing in line all day. So Crystal and I went with some of our fellow team members to get tested at Tebelopele. Now I can say I know exactly how someone feels as they are getting testing and waiting for their results! Even though I knew that I should have nothing to worry about, I still found myself nervous as I entered into the Tebelopele building that day…

First you have to go through pre-counseling where a qualified counselor explains the process of getting tested and talks about HIV and what getting a positive or negative result means. She gives you a card with a number (that looks a like a tiny passport) to help with anonymity.

Next you go into a lab where they prick your finger and you bleed onto a card and this plastic piece.

Then you wait for 15 minutes for your results to show up.

Finally, a counselor calls you into a room to show you your stick and little plastic piece. If it has one line then you are HIV negative; if it has two lines, then you are HIV positive. You talk about your results with the counselor and discuss the next steps. If you like, you can get your tiny passport stamped with your results.

Here I hold up my passport! I’m HIV negative!


Here Cecilia, Crystal, Pere, and I all hold up our negative results!

Our next steps? Keep abstaining.