I've only been tested once and it was so long ago I can't remember it clearly but i think they asked why I thought I might have it. It was a special clinic. I can't even remember why I went to be tested. Do they normally ask or assume you have had risky activities?
I can see that being asked as an element of pre-test counselling: one way of raising the issue of how surprised would you be at a postive result?
Plus pre-combination therapy, some people were mildly discouraging of testing, because there was very little to offer asympomatic HIV+ people.
If it was in the 80s and they presumed you're straight and reasonably monogamous, there might also have been an element of 'oh no, another of the worried well', especially if you didn't have any symptoms of anything else.
Re: Reminds me...
Date: 2003-11-06 01:16 am (UTC)Re: Reminds me...
Date: 2003-11-06 05:26 am (UTC)Plus pre-combination therapy, some people were mildly discouraging of testing, because there was very little to offer asympomatic HIV+ people.
If it was in the 80s and they presumed you're straight and reasonably monogamous, there might also have been an element of 'oh no, another of the worried well', especially if you didn't have any symptoms of anything else.