Required interview with state health department

[WillyWump]

Like HeckRaiser my phone rang 2-3 times a day from the Health Dept. When I finally answered it the rep "informed" me I was HIV+ (duh), and wanted phone#'s of those Ive had sex with in the last (I think) 6 months. I told him I didnt have any Ph#'s of those people/person. It was the truth, however im sure I sounded like a big 'ol skank whore.

-Will

[JJ80909]

I was confirmed positive on April 1, 2010.  A few days prior, the instant test showed I was positive.  After the instant test, I contacted my local agency for hiv/aids for support (I really needed it).  Anyway, on April 1st, the health department (my testing was done by them at one of their free awareness checks) and they informed me I would be contacted by so-and-so from the Colorado State Health Dept.  She called me the next day (if I remember) and we arranged the meeting a week later.  She was first concerned about my state of health -- physically and mentally, and wanted to make sure I was seeking medical care, all before we got to the point of the interview about my sexual history -- the interview was quick, and it felt good to me to get some of this off my mind.  I was treated with respect and dignity -- and the state public health official even had compassion for me.  I'm sure other states differ with their approach, which totally sucks.  i really believe the point these days of the interview is to track positives for funding issues, and more importantly to notify (I was told it would be and anonymous notification) partners of their potential exposure.  I was nervous going into it, but it was done in 10 minutes or so.

[tednlou2]

I was confirmed positive on April 1, 2010.  A few days prior, the instant test showed I was positive.  After the instant test, I contacted my local agency for hiv/aids for support (I really needed it).  Anyway, on April 1st, the health department (my testing was done by them at one of their free awareness checks) and they informed me I would be contacted by so-and-so from the Colorado State Health Dept.  She called me the next day (if I remember) and we arranged the meeting a week later.  She was first concerned about my state of health -- physically and mentally, and wanted to make sure I was seeking medical care, all before we got to the point of the interview about my sexual history -- the interview was quick, and it felt good to me to get some of this off my mind.  I was treated with respect and dignity -- and the state public health official even had compassion for me.  I'm sure other states differ with their approach, which totally sucks.  i really believe the point these days of the interview is to track positives for funding issues, and more importantly to notify (I was told it would be and anonymous notification) partners of their potential exposure.  I was nervous going into it, but it was done in 10 minutes or so.

You were confirmed poz on April Fools Day?  That just isn't right.  I'm glad to hear your experience went well with the health officials.  It seems most are saying the same thing about their experiences. 

[Phoenius10]

I posted about my and my partners situations with this a while back.  My interviewer from the health dept just showed up at one of my HIV appts one day, no warning, but she was very nice and it was no big deal.  My partner and I both live in VA but live 2 hours apart.  His was not so pleasant.

She insisted on coming to his house and insisted on names of who he had been with and etc.  By the time she left he called me and was scared to death and so upset.  He had given her my name and my # but told her I was the reason he had been tested anyway,  I found out first I was poz, then told him.  She still insisted on talking to me and kept saying we were part of an "investigation".  

She finally called me and I tried to be pleasant at first but then she started with this giving her names bull crap.  I told her I had already spoken with the H.D. and she said she needed further information for her "investigation".  

That just set me off.  I have insurance I have no ties with the H.D.  they aren't paying for anything for  me and I told her so.  I told her it was because of crap like this that people don't want to get tested and if she ever called me or my partner back again my lawyer will be contacting her and I would sue her for harassment.  I was actually alot more rude than what I am explaining here but the way I see it is,  its none of their damn business. We never heard from them again.

You should choose to answer what questions you want to and if they don't like it than f*&# 'em.

First, let this be clear, there is a reason why the State Heath Department visits you, and it's NOT because they are concerned about your health or well-being.. far from it!  Actually, if you can, you should avoid talking to them at all costs and if you are forced to, ask them, "Should I have my an attorney present?"

The reason they want to talk to you is to get the names of the people you been with.  This is not because they care and want to call these people up to have them tested.  Quite the contrary!  They want to see if they knew about their status BEFORE they slept with you.  And if so, they will open an investigation possibly resulting in the state's District Attorney press charges depending on the HIV laws of your state.  The worse your state's discrimintory HIV laws, the worse this is.  And you have absolutely no say in this process.  So believe me.  Trust NO ONE from the Health Department!!  And god forbid, do not give them ANYONE's information you've been with, and don't sign anything without a fight.

The reason why they want you to sign paperwork is so that they have written proof you've been informed of your legal obligations in the state and the laws.  With that signed document, should anyone of your friends claim you slept with them before getting HIV true or not, they pretty much have an open and shut case against you.

This is completely a legal matter, and it is not in your interest AT ALL to talk to someone from the health department about your infection.  Avoid it at ALL COSTS, do not sign anything, and do not give out any information about yourself (ie your phone number) or anyone else to the them.  I CANNOT stress this enough.  If you have an attorney and have to go to this meeting, bring him along too, if not just to show them that you know what the meeting is REALLY about.

[leatherman]

They want to see if they knew about their status BEFORE they slept with you.

and you know this how???
not by the definition and legal construct of contact tracing and STD prevention
nor by the ancedotal evidence of the members' stories here
nor by the fact that STD contact tracing has been going on since the 40s, and HIV contact tracing since the late 80s (before there even were any HIV laws in any state)

links please to back up your assertions unless all you're doing is fear-mongering

[BT65]

It seems that Phoenuis10's mission is to come onto a website and stir utter bullshit around to see if he can get anyone worked up.  I have to read his posts with a bit of humor, to keep from biting off the ends of my fingers in contempt.

[Hellraiser]

It seems that Phoenuis10's mission is to come onto a website and stir utter bullshit around to see if he can get anyone worked up.  I have to read his posts with a bit of humor, to keep from biting off the ends of my fingers in contempt.

I don't know if he's purposefully attempting to aggravate people, but he has very strong convictions for certain.  Regardless of whether or not they are based in fact or fiction he purports them to be fact.

[nixsmail]

BT65, agree with your point exactly.

[Phoenius10]

That is one of their primary missions, masked by allegedly being there to answer questions you might have about hiv and look concerned (which is also their job).  My link and proof is bullrun's experience that I quoted.  Go back and read his run-in with the Heath Department again.  Just because he reported his bf as being a possible source, they immediately opened a likely criminal "investigation" to put his bf in jail.  Now is that ANYONE concerned about your health and well-being?

Why would they need signed documents from you proving they had been there?  Has anyone ever read the find print on any of these documents?  Its what they use when they try to build a case against you should anyone say they were with u and got infected (whatever infections are listed in the laws of said state. I'm sure they could care less about any others). 

Also, a year ago, I had a unpleasant experience myself with the health department when someone gave them my number as a possible source for their infection.  They wanted to know everything about me, which I found rather disturbing.  Why??  When I told them I had just been tested a month ago, they ask "By who?  We need to call them up to confirm."  WTF!!!  After that, I knew damn well what this alleged "partner notification program" rap was REALLY all about.  And the other guy on this thread that said the health department was so wanting to talk to them, that they'd get the sheriff to give him a ride.  That just further confirms it all.  So I don't know about you all, but I stand behind everything I said.

Not all states are like this.  For example CA with its lenient HIV laws where intent must be proved, I doubt they even have a state-run notification program.  It doesn't benefit them.

and you know this how???
not by the definition and legal construct of contact tracing and STD prevention
nor by the ancedotal evidence of the members' stories here
nor by the fact that STD contact tracing has been going on since the 40s, and HIV contact tracing since the late 80s (before there even were any HIV laws in any state)

links please to back up your assertions unless all you're doing is fear-mongering

[Phoenius10]

I don't know if he's purposefully attempting to aggravate people, but he has very strong convictions for certain.  Regardless of whether or not they are based in fact or fiction he purports them to be fact.

So its aggravating to you to know that your State Health Department has an hidden agenda going on to increase its states conviction rates.  Here I thought that everyone on here would be thanking me for supplying this information.  No one seemed too pleased to be bothered by those folks in the first place and now since they know one of the reasons they are being persistent, I get chastised for it?!

I'm sure they mean well, of course, with free testing, treatment, councelling, etc..  But to mix in trying to assist in prosecuting people with HIV using archaic laws passed when HIV was a death sentence cancels out any good the heath dept is trying to accomplish.  No wonder everyone wants a confidential anonymous test.

[leatherman]

My link and proof is bullrun's experience that I quoted.  Go back and read his run-in with the Heath Department again.  Just because he reported his bf as being a possible source, they immediately opened a likely criminal "investigation" to put his bf in jail.

what link? you provided no link to a case of anyone being jailed. By the way, no one even mentioned "jail" in redbull's case. all he stated was the health dpt was going to open an "invesigation". You misconstrued it to involve law enforcement and jail.

Dach did mention the sheriff but he also mentioned waterboarding, grog and sky writing too. (did you really believe all of that?!?!?) Until he explains how much of his story was true and how much was hyperbole, I don't know that we can count that story as law enforcement being used to enforce "partner notification"

Not all states are like this.  For example CA with its lenient HIV laws where intent must be proved, I doubt they even have a state-run notification program.  It doesn't benefit them.

you are incorrect. ALL states have hiv-reporting
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?cat=11&ind=559

obviously you didn't read any of my previous links, so here are some of them, along with some more. For even more, google up "partner notification laws", "std contact tracing" or "hiv contact tracing" and learn how its actually an HIV prevention method and not a gestapo-like action to put pozzies in jail.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000042.htm
Current Trends Partner Notification for Preventing Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection -- Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, Virginia

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2596_v123/ai_16399937/
"Why the opposition to AIDS contact tracing?"

http://std.about.com/od/prevention/f/contacttracing.htm
which is often used for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis. TB management also includes contact tracing

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/reporting.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/clinical.htm
http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights_hiv-aids/hiv-partner-notification-why-coercion-wont-work

[leatherman]

But to mix in trying to assist in prosecuting people with HIV using archaic laws passed when HIV was a death sentence cancels out any good the heath dept is trying to accomplish.  No wonder everyone wants a confidential anonymous test.

links please to prosecutions using hiv name-based reporting for partner notification
otherwise that is just your conjecture

[Phoenius10]

what link? you provided no link to a case of anyone being jailed. By the way, no one even mentioned "jail" in redbull's case. all he stated was the health dpt was going to open an "invesigation". You misconstrued it to involve law enforcement and jail.

So they need to open an "investigation" to notify his bf, who they knew was already notified??  That doesn't make any sense at all.  And what about MY CASE?  Why did they need to know MY name, what my current status was, WHERE I was last tested as proof, and all that crap JUST to notify me I might be exposed??? What part of the hiv-reporting law states they need to know all that??  Can you explain this other than they are trying to build a criminal investigation?

Dach did mention the sheriff but he also mentioned waterboarding, grog and sky writing too. (did you really believe all of that?!?!?) Until he explains how much of his story was true and how much was hyperbole, I don't know that we can count that story as law enforcement being used to enforce "partner notification"

I never said law enforcement was enforcing partner notification.  It is completely voluntary, but in some states they try to pry it out of you for a bad reason.  I'm only trying to warn people what your health department MIGHT BE doing, in particular if you live in a state where there is a discrimintory law where you must disclose your diseases to every sexual partner before having sex with them.  Did you know that it is a felony in AR for an HIV+ person to have sex with anyone without first disclosing they are pos?  Did you know that people in AR are going to prison for up to 25 years just because they didn't disclose and no disease was even transmitted?  Now would you give your information to THAT state's Health Department so they can have proof they notified you of this later should you mess up?  And have a record on file of you being POS and possibly use it AGAINST you should anyone of your sexual partners later test there and report having had sex with u?  I think not.

Partner notification laws generally protects the confidentiality of the person doing the reporting, NOT the poor soles they are trying to accuse of having done the exposing in a state with bad HIV/infection disease disclosure laws.  Until that is fixed and ALL HIV persons are protected at the clinic no matter what the circumstance, I know I'd want nothing to do with the Health Departments in those states, ESPECIALLY when I seen it with my own eyes in MY case and RedBull's on here!

I guess if you are some "grumpy old man" who don't anticipate having sex with anyone else and living in a state without such archaic laws, this does not apply to you.  But for some of us hornier younger folks, it does.

[Matty the Damned]

Sigh.

Pheonius is, once again, wrong. I suppose we've all gotta have a talent.

Public health authorities require these interviews as part of a process called "contact tracing". It is an entirely normal and quite benign process. Folks will find that there are range of infectious and communicable diseases which are handled in this way.

MtD

[Granny60]

Phoenius10 does have some valid points that some of us have discussed at length in other venues. Some of the case workers that come by every few months can be very pushy;  not only do you have to sign all the forms every visit that you have been informed, but you have to initial each line that you have read it and understand it. WTF?  Some of us are better educated than the people making the visits. Then there are the two years of asking  " are you sure you don't want to change your story?" They want  people to come in for anonymous testing, but as soon as there is a poz. result, it is a whole new story.

[Granny60]

Sigh.

Public health authorities require these interviews as part of a process called "contact tracing". It is an entirely normal and quite benign process. Folks will find that there are range of infectious and communicable diseases which are handled in this way.

MtD

True, and sensible, but some take it way to far beyond just asking for list of people that may have been exposed. Apparently you have not been put in a separate room from your partner and each of you interrogated for 3 hours to make sure your stories are the same and contacts match like my husband and I  have. Had I not been so ill I might not have been polite for 3 hours.

[Matty the Damned]

True, and sensible, but some take it way to far beyond just asking for list of people that may have been exposed. Apparently you have not been put in a separate room from your partner and each of you interrogated for 3 hours to make sure your stories are the same and contacts match like my husband and I  have. Had I not been so ill I might not have been polite for 3 hours.

Nope, I've not been treated like that.

When I was diagnosed I was given two option - contact my partners myself and advise them to be tested or provide their details to the sexual health service and a SH nurse would do it for me.

The object of the exercise being to ensure that these people were given an opportunity to be tested.

I elected to contact my sexual partners myself.

Also thread necromancy is bad.

MtD

[Granny60]

I was treated with respect and dignity -- and the state public health official even had compassion for me.   I was nervous going into it, but it was done in 10 minutes or so.

Now this was nice to read. Hugs to that healthcare worker.

[skeebo1969]

Now this was nice to read. Hugs to that healthcare worker.

After the lady at the health department with Candy tattooed on her breast gave me my results, she asked me who I had slept with recently and I told her I would tell them myself.  After this, she walked me into the back towards a door.  I thought she was taking me to talk to someone because I wasn't taking it so well...  I was quite surpised when the sun hit my face and realized I was in the parking lot.

[Snowangel]

I still have the business card to the guy who told me, he reminded me of that guy that was on the Real World, Pedro.  He was really sweet and took me up to meet my doc.

That is some crazy shit, making you walk out the back door.

[Ravhyn]

I have no respect for our local health department.  With there insensitivity on informing me on Christmas Eve, and with them making me sign a paper saying I would not reproduce.  Too hell with them. I dare one of them to come to my house or to call me. 

[Snowangel]

WOW, that is amazing unfortunately not suprising.  I had a history of pre-cancerous cells when I was younger and my OB wanted me to have a full hystectomy because of the HIV. I was 22 at the time, 16 years and 4 healthy babies children, and no more cancerous cells, she can kiss my rosey white a$$.

[Ravhyn]

well I can't have kids anyways, I'm 27 with a progesterene level of .1 , never have been able to have kids, never will be able too.

[Miss Philicia]

Nobody has ever contacted me about anything. I don't live in a batshit insane state.

[denb45]

Nobody has ever contacted me about anything. I don't live in a batshit insane state.

I tested POZ back in June of 87 in Calif. I was told all they knew about HIV at the time witch wasn't very much, but I was NEVER ask anything about who I was with and who I thought give this to me, and NEVER asked who I fucked recently, back then, they didn't know much about HIV, and had very little info about it.....
it wasn't until 2 or 3 yrs later that HIV/AIDS become a Big Deal, at least in the Calif. County I tested POZ
in back then, and that was pretty much it, since that time while I still live in Calif. I Never was asked anything are was EVER bothered EVER again......even when I moved to NM back in 2001 it wasn't a big deal, I went the local ASO and got what I needed and that was that.......

[Granny60]

Nobody has ever contacted me about anything. I don't live in a batshit insane state.

Your comment gave me a laugh tonight. Thanks.  I needed it.

[AaronbytheC]

When I first tested poz I asked this question too.  I was told that in California when they report the result to the Health Department as long as they check a box that states I know how I got it...  IE , M2M sex, IV drug, and so on they usually do not contact you...  It's only when they check the "Unknown" box that they are interested in talking to you.     
It's been 3 months and no one has come looking for me yet.   

[Kendoll]

The local health department in North Carolina did the same thing to me in 2003. I got a call from them informing me that I HAD to attend an interview with a health department official. It wasn't pleasant, be warned. They asked me alot of embarrassing questions that I didn't want to answer like:

Was I hooking up with people at the local rest-top ?

Was I working the glory holes at the adult bookstore ?

Was I hooking up with people online ? At bars ?

Was I top ? Bottom ?

Did I let people cum in my ass ?

They tried to browbeat me into giving up the names of my past sex partners ( I wouldn't). I told them I'd inform anybody I thought I might have put in danger during the past year and I did.  They noticed that I had tattoos and wanted to know the name of the tattoo parlor that had done my work because I could have got my AIDS-infected blood all over their needles & equipment. At this point I lied and said I'd had the tats for over ten years (in fact, maybe a year by that point). I'd had my tats done by these hardcore skinheads at a tattoo shop about 20 miles form my house. I had watched these guys as they worked and they'd taken ever precaution along then way, wearing rubber gloves and using a fresh needle on me and then disposed of it afterwards. These were exactly the kind of guys that would have come looking for me had the health department called them and to be honest, I was scared shitless at that point. After that they told me that I could be thrown in jail if I have sex with someone and don't tell them I'm poz (duh, no kiddin' ?) and it was finally over. I wish to God, I'd had my HIV test done in a state that still allows anonymous testing, if I had it to do all over again...

[phildinftlaudy]

My test was actually done by the health department - at a community event - one of their mobile vans.  When I got my results at the actual DOH - the caseworker asked me how many sexual partners I had had in the past year - he told me I should contact them and that if I didn't feel comfortable doing so, they would do it for me - if I provided names.  I had onlly had one partner (my ex) - who was already positive - so that wasn't an issue.

A couple of weeks later I got a note taped to my door that told me I needed to contact the DOH.  It was their surveillance team - they wanted to interview me to find out my partners based on m diagnosis.  When I told the caseworker at DOH who had given me my results he informed them that I had already taken care of any notifications - and I never heard from them again.

In regards to anonymous testing - that only works until the time you test positive on the initial test - the confirmation test has to have your name attached to it.  As names have to be attached to actual HIV positive tests.  The anonymous part just gets you in the door - for those apprehensive about giving their name prior to getting tested.  If you test negative it stays anonymous - but a preliminary positive is going to require the giving of a name for the confirmatory. At least that is my understanding.

[leatherman]

but a preliminary positive is going to require the giving of a name for the confirmatory. At least that is my understanding.

Surveillance data on HIV infections provide a more complete picture of the HIV epidemic and the need for prevention and care services than does the picture provided by AIDS data alone. As of April 2008, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 6 dependent areas—American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—used the same confidential name-based reporting standards to collect HIV surveillance data.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/reporting.htm

[dvinemstre]

Well I have to agree that some of you have had horrifying encounters with the local health departments. I was informed by my ob/gyn that I was +. She was devastated and frankly did not do such a great job with it. I called the health dept about a week later, when I had not heard from anyone and they had not even notified the health department. I was handled very well, the man, Brian, made an appointment with me and said he could meet me, come to my house, or I could come there. I opted to go there, since I had been there numerous times for various things. He was wonderful, answered all my questions, directed me to resources and also inquired if the health department needed to contact any of my prior partners. I informed him there was the one who gave it to me, and otherwise I had notified my other partners. In NC it seems that even if two persons are separated, if one of them is named in such matters, the other spouse is also notified....or so he said. Anyhow, it is my understanding that 1) in part it is demographic, 2) the statistics are used for funding of resources, and 3) it is in the best interests of persons who are + to have information. I really hate that the negative experiences of being among those persons "hunted" so to speak has been a barrier to services if it has been. Z

[skeebo1969]

The local health department in North Carolina did the same thing to me in 2003. I got a call from them informing me that I HAD to attend an interview with a health department official. It wasn't pleasant, be warned. They asked me alot of embarrassing questions that I didn't want to answer like:

Was I hooking up with people at the local rest-top ?

Was I working the glory holes at the adult bookstore ?

Was I hooking up with people online ? At bars ?

Was I top ? Bottom ?

Did I let people cum in my ass ?

They tried to browbeat me into giving up the names of my past sex partners ( I wouldn't). I told them I'd inform anybody I thought I might have put in danger during the past year and I did.  They noticed that I had tattoos and wanted to know the name of the tattoo parlor that had done my work because I could have got my AIDS-infected blood all over their needles & equipment. At this point I lied and said I'd had the tats for over ten years (in fact, maybe a year by that point). I'd had my tats done by these hardcore skinheads at a tattoo shop about 20 miles form my house. I had watched these guys as they worked and they'd taken ever precaution along then way, wearing rubber gloves and using a fresh needle on me and then disposed of it afterwards. These were exactly the kind of guys that would have come looking for me had the health department called them and to be honest, I was scared shitless at that point. After that they told me that I could be thrown in jail if I have sex with someone and don't tell them I'm poz (duh, no kiddin' ?) and it was finally over. I wish to God, I'd had my HIV test done in a state that still allows anonymous testing, if I had it to do all over again...

Your experience is definitely the exception and not the norm.. of course, this is my opinion.

[onemoretime]

I wouldn't sweat it...for their records.

Is this more popular in certain parts of the country?  When I tested poz no one said boo (in NY) and everyon I have asked who has tested positive in the last 5-6 years that I know in NJ/NY/CT have never been contacted.

i totally agree..  6 years ago in nj no one contacted me.    i did get contacted for syfilis though;

[GuyInLA]

I was diagnosed in March 2009 in Los Angeles.  No one, not even my doctor, asked me any questions about how I became infected.

[onemoretime]

My Id doc says they do call him with new diagnosis.   so the big citieis they prolly jjust call the dr

[hope_for_a_cure]

I had the required interview.  All in all it went pretty well and of course I was asked to provide names and phone numbers along with addresses of those I had been with during the past 5 years.  I did notify my ex when I was diagnosed back in March and assured her that I did not and will not purposely attempt to spread the virus.  There was one followup interview and I doubt I will hear from them again. 

[hope_for_a_cure]

I should clarify that I did NOT provide names, numbers, and addresses. 

[numbersguy82]

HAHA too appropriate I just recieved my letter in the mail today. I knew it would be coming Broward County is rather efficient I have heard. They want me to schedule an appointment to come in, but a friend told me they will conduct the interview over the phone. Sounds like the standard disclaimer about spreading HIV and wanting prior partner's names.

Although the letter does state that with no action the next step is a visit. I would love to see them be able to get into my Building (aka Fort Knox). If they do convince security and then the front desk to let them in I want their script so I can give it to all of my friends to use when they visit. Altho then people might start to talk about all the visits I get from the Health Dept lol...