Question & AnswerQ&A (DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2010-0028)
The general objective is to provide policies and guidelines in the conduct of HIV counseling and testing (HCT) at community and health facility settings.
People in prostitution, men having sex with men, people who inject drugs, and migrant workers are considered the most at risk and vulnerable populations for HIV infection.
The two main components are pre-HIV test counseling and post-HIV test counseling.
All HCT facilities shall be duly licensed and comply with the standards set by the Department of Health for an HIV Testing Center.
It refers to the voluntary written agreement of a person allowing themselves to undergo or be subjected to a procedure based on full information.
HIV testing shall be offered to clients assessed for STI, pregnant women with HIV risks, people accessing community-based services for at-risk groups, diagnosed TB patients, patients with signs consistent with HIV-related diseases, and parents/guardians of children born to HIV-infected mothers.
Only registered medical technologists with HIV proficiency training shall perform HIV testing using FDA-registered test kits.
Reactive samples shall be referred for confirmatory testing at SACCL for clients or RITM for blood units, and results shall not be directly released to clients but through the referring HIV testing facility accompanied by post-test counseling.
All HCT facilities must observe the principles of counseling, informed consent, and confidentiality at all times.
Requirements include having trained physicians or allied medical/social welfare personnel, registered medical technologists with HIV proficiency training, FDA-registered HIV test kits, a private space for counseling, and annual certification of satisfactory performance in the National External Quality Assurance Programme.