Document 0043 DOCN CDC94043 TI HIV Counseling, Testing, and Referral: Terms Used in HIV Prevention DT 9408 SO CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse - August 1994 TX TERMS USED IN HIV PREVENTION ABSTINENCE: Refraining from participating in something. When talking about HIV, abstinence refers to not engaging in sexual intercourse or injecting drugs. AIDS: The acronym for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS can affect the immune and central nervous systems and can result in neurological problems, infections, or cancers. It is caused by HIV. ANAL SEX: A type of sexual intercourse in which a man's penis enters his partner's anus. ANONYMOUS: Without any identification. The term is used in regard to HIV testing when the persons ordering and performing the test do not maintain a record of the name or identity of the person whose blood they are testing. ANTIBODIES: Proteins that are manufactured by the immune system in response to foreign substances. ANTIBODY TEST: A laboratory procedure which detects antibodies to specific microorganisms. An HIV antibody test determines if a person's body has produced antibodies to HIV but does not detect the virus itself. ANTIDISCRIMINATION PROTECTION: Provisions of laws that impose penalties for discrimination because of a person's HIV infection or perceived risk of infection. ANTIVIRAL: Pertaining to something that inhibits the actions of a virus. Antiviral therapy refers to a treatment that works against the virus itself. ANUS: The opening of the body through which feces or bowel movements pass. The anus is the part of the body which is penetrated during anal sex. APPROPRIATE DISCLOSURE: Notifying specific people of a client's HIV risks or infection to other people because of their risk of exposure or their ability to provide medical assistance or support. ASYMPTOMATIC: Being infected but having no symptoms of infection. BISEXUAL: A person whose sex partners are both men and women. A bisexual can be a man or a woman. CD4 TESTING: A laboratory blood test that counts a subset of white blood cells as an aid to determining immune function. Certain counts are indications for starting medications for persons with HIV infection. CLIENT: A person to whom professional services are rendered. CLIENT-CENTERED APPROACH: Refers to counseling conducted in an interactive manner responsive to individual client needs. Avoids a preconceived set of points to be made by the counselor and encourages the client to do most of the talking. Focuses on developing goals with the client rather than simply providing information or imposing counselor goals. CONDOM: Commonly called rubbers, condoms are sheaths that fit over a man's penis or into a woman's vagina to prevent semen from entering the partner's body after ejaculation. Condoms also prevent a man's penis from coming in contact with his partner's body fluids. CONFIDENTIAL: Kept private. In regard to HIV testing, it means that the results of a test are known only to the person who is being tested and the immediate group of people who provide care and prevention services for that person. COUNSELING: Helping people plan actions that will benefit themselves or others. Unless designated as group counseling or couple counseling, the word is used here to describe one-on-one discussions. DISCORDANT: Conflicting. Used to describe the circumstances in which one partner is infected with HIV and the other is not. EIA: See ELISA. EARLY INTERVENTION: The set of medical, preventive and psychosocial services provided to persons upon diagnosis of HIV infection. Involves monitoring indicators of immune function as signals to provide interventions to delay the onset of illness, psychosocial support, and measures to prevent transmission. ELISA: Acronym for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The laboratory test most commonly used to screen for antibodies to HIV. See Positive Test. FALSE-NEGATIVE: A negative test result for a person who is actually infected. FALSE-POSITIVE: A positive test result for a person who is actually not infected. HETEROSEXUAL: A person whose sex partners are exclusively persons of the opposite sex. HIV : Human immunodeficiency virus; the virus that causes AIDS. HOMOSEXUAL: A person whose sex partners are exclusively members of the same sex. A homosexual man is called a gay man. A homosexual woman is called a lesbian. IMMUNE STATUS: The state of the body's natural ability to fight diseases. IMMUNE SYSTEM: The body's mechanism to identify and fight off infections and other foreign substances. INJECTED DRUGS: Drugs that are introduced directly into a person's body or bloodstream through a needle. These include cocaine, crack, heroin, and steroids. INDETERMINATE: Not determined one way or another. Inconclusive test results; the laboratory is unable to state whether antibody is present or not. INTERVENTION: An action taken to change an outcome. MASTURBATION: Stimulating a man's penis or a woman's clitoris. MONOGAMOUS: Having an exclusive sexual relationship with only one partner. Mutual monogamy means neither partner has sex with other people. MORBIDITY: Illness or disease. MORTALITY: Death. NEGOTIATED RISK REDUCTION PLAN: Discussions that result in identifying the steps that a client thinks he or she will take to reduce the chances of acquiring HIV. The counselor's role is to assist the client in developing a realistic plan. OUTREACH SERVICES: Usually refers to services provided outside the walls of an agency. An outreach worker might go to a client's home or neighborhood. PARENTERAL: Taken into the body through intravenous or intramuscular injection. PHLEBOTOMY: Collecting a blood sample for laboratory testing by inserting a needle in a person's vein. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT: Acknowledging healthy behaviors or intentions through some mechanism that indicates approval, intended to be perceived as rewarding. POSITIVE TEST: For HIV, a sample of blood that is reactive on an initial ELISA test, repeatedly reactive on a second ELISA run on the same specimen, and confirmed positive on Western blot or other supplemental test. PREVALENCE: The total number of persons in a given population with a disease or condition at a given point in time. PREVENTION COUNSELING: Counseling which is designed to facilitate the client's perception of risk, identify behavior changes that the client has already implemented and barriers to the client's previous efforts to reduce risk, and to assist the client in developing a plan to reduce risk regardless of whether or not he or she takes the test. Prevention counseling that takes place prior to HIV testing should prepare the client for receiving and managing his or her test results. PROBLEM-SOLVING TECHNIQUES: A process by which a counselor tries to discover the basis of barriers indicated by some verbal or nonverbal communication from the client. After the barriers have been identified, possible solutions are discussed. PROPHYLACTIC TREATMENT: Medications given to help prevent infection or its consequences. RETROVIRUS: One of a group of RNA viruses. HIV is a retrovirus. RISK ASSESSMENT: Used in this document, risk assessment is that portion of a client-centered discussion that encourages the client to identify and acknowledge his or her personal risk for acquiring HIV. SENSITIVITY: The probability that a test will be positive when infection is present. SPECIFICITY: The probability that a test will be negative when the infection is not present. SPERMICIDE: A substance that kills sperm. TRIAGE ASSESSMENT: The process that determines whether someone should be referred to counseling. Triage assessment facilitates prevention counseling services for those persons at increased risk for HIV. WESTERN BLOT: A laboratory test that detects specific antibodies to components of a virus. Often used to confirm HIV antibodies in specimens found repeatedly reactive using the ELISA test for HIV antibodies. DISTRIBUTED BY GENA/aegis (714.248.2836 * 8N1/Full Duplex). SOURCE: National AIDS Clearinghouse.