When it comes to HIV testing, some individuals wonder about their privacy and how it will be affected by having their tests done. Many individuals not only worry about their privacy and others finding out, but also they wonder if their results will be published in any form. However, it is also important for an individual to remember that he or she has a responsibility to notify all individuals with whom he or she has been sexually active with about possibility of HIV infection.

Various HIV Testing Methods

HIV testing privacy comes in multiple forms, but it depends on the state you are having your test done in and what that states rules are concerning testing. For instance, while most insurance companies do not have the right to insist on having the results to your HIV test, in some states they are allowed to insist on knowing what your results are. Although some individuals wish to keep them private and by law doctors and clinics are required to keep these results private, your insurance company has a right to know your information in some instances and therefore can request to be privy to the information.

HIV Testing and Insurance

Some individuals hesitate allowing their insurance companies to know about their HIV testing because they are worried that if it turns out they are positive, the company will let them go. However, an insurance company is not allowed to drop an individual. They may try to increase their rates but you will have to examine your insurance policy to determine if they were lawfully allowed to do this. In some instances, insurance companies will overstep their authority and this will need to be dealt with. However, most insurance companies will not drop individuals and will try to support them, but the individuals can expect a rise in the premiums they will be forced to pay.

The Possibility of Mandatory Testings

Other individuals also worry about their families. For instance, it is now being recommended that adolescents should be tested for HIV due to how many adolescents in the United States are becoming sexually active at a very young age. In most instances, by the age of 13 most boys and girls have engaged in sexual activities at least once if not multiple times and with multiple partners. Having them tested will not only help to stop HIV from spreading, but it will also teach them awareness and encourage them to be tested throughout their lives.

Yet some adolescents worry about whether their parents will be told. By law, the legal guardian of an adolescent has a right to know what his/her medical conditions are because it affects the adolescent’s health, which is something that he/ she has a right to know about due to making decisions. While the legal guardian or parent does not have the right to publish test results, an adolescent cannot stop a guardian or parent from finding out what the results are. However, some adolescents can check themselves into free clinics on their own, but it is important to seek family support depending on the findings.