Where to Get Tested
GMHC Offers FREE HIV TESTING
Free HIV testing is offered at The David Geffen Testing Center, GMHC's
HIV testing program. The David Geffen Testing Center is dedicated
to providing a safe, respectful environment for people to be tested
for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C. Our goal is to make testing more
effective by tailoring all of our services to the individual. In
our counseling sessions, we address a broad spectrum of sexual health
issues, HIV and prevention and the importance of early detection.
For people who test positive for HIV, syphilis or hepatitis C, we
discuss early access to the most effective treatment options. When
testing for HIV, clients can choose a standard blood test, an oral
test (Orasure®) or the rapid HIV test (OraQuick® Advance™)
that uses oral fluid (officially, oral mucosal transudate or "OMT")
or a drop of blood to detect HIV antibodies. The standard and oral
HIV tests have a 1 week wait for results and the rapid test has a
30 60 minute wait for results with most people getting their results
about 40 minutes after they have tested. Some results with the rapid
test require additional testing.
Appointments are scheduled on a daily basis for the entire month.
We start scheduling appointments for the following month beginning
the last week of the current month. Our phone lines open at 10
am on most days. Please call The David Geffen Testing Center at
212.367.1100 for more information on scheduling.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, we offer walk-in testing. Please
note — walk-in testing is provided on a first-come, first-serve
basis and is limited to clinic capacity. We encourage clients
to arrive early since arriving during the posted hours does not
guarantee that you will be seen. Please call the David
Geffen Testing Center at 212.367.1100 for more detailed information
on how best to secure your testing slot for the day.
| Wednesdays & Fridays |
| 1 pm |
Registration begins (please arrive early) |
When you arrive on a walk-in day, and if there are slots remaining,
The Geffen Testing Center receptionist will ask you to fill out
some information and will assign a time that you will be seen.
You are free to leave The David Geffen Testing Center once you
have registered and been given a time slot, however, you must return
at least 10 minutes prior to your assigned slot or we may need
to give your testing slot to another client.
The David Geffen Testing Center is located at 119 W. 24th Street,
6th floor, in Manhattan. If you have any questions, please feel
free to call us at 212.367.1100.
The David Geffen Testing Center is a confidential test
site — not anonymous. In New York State, the law
requires confidential test sites to forward certain information
of individuals who test HIV-positive to the State Department
of Health. The information is used solely for statistical purposes
and will not be forwarded to any other local, state or federal
agency. Examples of agencies that WOULD NOT received
this information from the David Geffen Testing Center or the
Department of Health are insurance companies, employers, family,
school or the INS. Additional personal information that is shared
with your test counselor in your counseling session that is not
demographic in nature, is not information that we would forward.
If you would like to speak with a trained counselor for more
information or about your concerns about confidential and anonymous
testing, please call the GMHC Hotline at 800.243.7692.
In New York State, anonymous testing is provided
for free but only at Department of Health test sites. Anonymous
testing allows a person to get tested for HIV without providing
their name or personal information. For information on
an anonymous test site near you, please call the Department of
Health at 800.825.5448 or if you live in New York City,
you can dial 311. HIV is the only test that can
be performed anonymously at these sites. All other tests, such
as syphilis, would require that you provide certain information.
Outside of New York State, you can call the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Hotline. They
can answer any questions you might have about HIV and AIDS and
direct you to a nearby test site. They are open 7 days a week,
24 hours a day.
| English |
800.342.AIDS |
| TTY |
800.243.7889 |
| Spanish |
800.344.7432 |
© 2006 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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