Previous: Getting a sexual health check-up | 
Sexual health check-ups
What does a negative result mean?
- Sometimes it means you are absolutely not infected.
- Sometimes testing may have to be repeated to be sure of a negative result.
If you had a test because you had taken a risk with unsafe sex or sharing injecting equipment, then this is probably a good time to consider the things that may have led you to put your self at risk.
There are counselling and support services available at AIDS Councils and sexual health centres if you think that you would like to discuss anything that contributed to behaviour that put you at risk. See the Contacts section of this website for details.
What does a positive result mean?
- It means that you have an infection which you must do something about. This is to protect your health and to stop giving the infection to someone else.
- Some infections, like gonorrhoea and chlamydia are easily cured.
- Others, like HIV and Hepatitis B or C, will need close medical management of the infection.
What if the result of the HIV test is positive?
People experience a range of emotions when they find out they are HIV positive. Some people may feel shock, anger, horror or disbelief and others may cope better with the news. All of these reactions are completely normal and it helps to remember that you are NOT going to die tomorrow. Effective treatments mean that HIV infection is now a manageable chronic illness, not a death sentence.
If you do want to tell your partner, friends or family members, think about how they might react. If you are not sure how your partner, friends or family will react to the news, consider talking to a peer support worker at the AIDS Action Council, PLWHA, or a counsellor. Contact us.
Following a diagnosis, it’s recommended to make a follow-up appointment to see your doctor in the next few days. You may have more questions or want more information in a week or so. Start making a list of any questions for your doctor.
Will my partner or family need to find out?
Test results in Australia are confidential and between you and the doctor or nurse who performed your test. Positive results for some infections, including HIV, are also reported confidentially to the health department. There are strict laws to ensure this confidentiality.
It is not uncommon for people to be afraid of what their partner will think. If you have a sexually transmitted infection (including HIV) and have sexual partners that may be at risk, your doctor or nurse will help you find ways to get them to come in for a test.
If you don't tell your partners yourself, you can ask the sexual health clinic to contact your partners for you. This can often be done without identifying you at all.
You will usually be asked to use condoms or abstain from sex with your partners until they have been informed.
Only in very specific cases where the chief health officer is concerned that you are continuting to put others at risk (eg. through unprotected sex), and everything else as failed, will your partners be told without your permission.
Do I have to tell my boss or colleagues?
Unless you work in one of a very few special professions (eg. medical staff, the defense force) you have no legal obligation to tell your workplace.
If my child is HIV positive, do I have to tell their school?
No. Parents of an HIV positive child are under no legal obligation to inform schools, although they may choose to do so for the benefit of the child. The ACT Government has very strict policies [PDF] about how schools use this information.
To page top