MSU students can receive their HIV test results faster if Olin Health Center agrees to be a pilot site for a new method of testing.

Olin Health Center was asked by the Michigan Department of Community Health to participate in a testing program that would provide results in 20 minutes before it is approved for state use.

The common tests used now make patients wait about a week for results.

The rapid test requires blood pricked from the finger of the patient to be screened for the presence of HIV antibodies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the new HIV test is as accurate as the common HIV screening test currently being used by health clinics.

According to the CDC, in 1999, about 900,000 people reported having HIV or AIDS in the United States.

Dennis Martell, coordinator for HIV testing and counseling for Olin Health Center, said the new test would reduce the number of people who do not return for their test results.

"Once you come in you're committing to get your results right then and there," he said. "It's going to be a change for both the counselor and student."

But if the Michigan Department of Community Health approves the use of the rapid test, Olin officials will have to evaluate other factors, such as cost, before they decide to change their method of testing.

"We don't really want to charge for services," Martell said. "We want to do what's best for students."

Although students have mixed emotions when they receive their test results, staff and peer counselors are present to assist them, Martell said.

He strongly recommends students get HIV testing if they feel they are at risk for contracting the virus.

Martell said counseling services provide a key component to HIV testing, and if the testing is approved, methods of counseling will be altered.

The counselor has a week for the confirmation results to come in, allowing time to examine a patient's record, Martell said.

"This way, the counselor needs to be prepared right on the spot," he said.

Martell said people still run the risk of getting HIV if they practice unsafe behaviors.

Olin Health Center tests 300-500 students for HIV each year, Martell said, but not many students know about their services.

"It's one of the best kept secrets on campus," he said.

But Jeanne Sullivan, HIV coordinator for the Ingham County Health Department, said health clinics should be cautious when using rapid HIV testing.

She said the new test could provide a false positive to the patient, just as the common screening test can.

The Ingham County Health Department will not be a part of the pilot program for the rapid test because it is typically assigned to cities that are at a high risk for HIV and AIDS, Sullivan said.

"At this time our county would not be using it," she said. "The state would make that decision."