Shirlene Manuel, Prevention Specialist at Metro Inclusive Health in Tampa Bay, FL, speaks on a new test for HIV that gets you results within a minute.
So, tell us a little bit about the test and how it works.
The INSTI test – we are really excited about that. We started doing it in October. I actually was trained for it about a year ago but we just got it here at Metro in October. It’s literally taking a drop of blood, putting it in a solution and waiting for a minute – 60 seconds – to get those results. It has made a difference in the amount of tests that we see, the ones that come into the office now and the amount of testing that we are doing out in the community.
Why do you think it’s made a difference?
The tests that we were doing prior to that used to take at least 20 minutes and those 20 minutes were like an hour. Now because the client can get those in a minute, it just makes a difference. By the time you feel like you want to stress, you have your results. You don’t have that 20 minutes to wait while the clocks tick down slowly. One minute I’m telling you whether you’re negative or I’m giving you a result that’s going to change your life.
So, would you say this test is a significant breakthrough?
Oh, definitely, definitely. I started doing testing back in 1988 and the difference in then and now is unbelievable. So this is definitely a breakthrough in it.
Do you think more people will be ok with getting the test now and be more comfortable with it?
Yeah. There are more people comfortable with getting tested because of the amount of time that it takes to give the results but those people that are afraid to get tested still have that fear. Our job as testers is to try to remove that fear so that more people will come in and get tested.
And it’s pretty simple, watching you do it.
Oh it’s real simple. It’s real simple – a stick, a drop, shake, your results. It’s done.
There’s not many tests where you can get the results in a minute.
No. The paperwork actually takes longer because we actually have a form that asks you about 20 questions. The paperwork actually takes longer to do than it takes to get your results.
Back in 1988, did you have to wear anything when you were testing for HIV?
In ’88 we used to have to suit up like a beekeeper. We wore a full hazmat suit. The cover, and the face, boots, white jumpsuit before we could ever go in to actually see a client if they had been admitted to the hospital. So this is different. Now all I have to do is put on a pair of gloves and actually do a test.
So, this is a big change that you’ve seen?
A humongous change, yeah. Yeah it is.
Are the patients that you work with more receptive?
They are more receptive. I think anybody coming in to get a test is going to be stressed anyway but they are more comfortable especially walking into Metro to get their testing because they know that’s what we do. That’s what we specialize in. So they are more comfortable coming in because they know that the test that we’re going to give them and the results we’re going to give them are going to be accurate results.
END OF INTERVIEW
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