Students seeking anonymous HIV testing will not find it available on campus. A Student Union Government poll was carried out in November to assess student interest in anonymous HIV testing. The results indicated wide-spread support for a test to be provided by the Brandeis Health Center. Yet, due to Brandeis's small student population, the administration foresaw significant problems in maintaining the anonymity of those students using the test. In lieu of providing the HIV test on campus, arrangements have been made with Massachusetts General Hospital to provide anonymous testing for Brandeis students. Responding to concerns regarding the absence of any form of HIV testing for students, the Student Union Government initiated an examination of the feasibility of on-campus testing at the beginning of this semester. Despite that 69 percent of responded pollsters, affirming that they would use an anonymous HIV test available at the Health Center, Brandeis's small size deterred any efforts to offer the testing.

Dr. Debra Poaster, medical director and co-administrator of the Health Center said that, while students would probably utilize the test, providing it would be "logistically difficult for a variety of reasons." She explained besides needing a coding system for students desiring testing, the Health Center staff already is acquainted with many students, so the testing would not be anonymous. Specifically, Poaster said the optional HIV Testing would have been offered after the Health Center closed. Further, she said if there were only 20 students waiting to be tested, it would be obvious to the students waiting for their turn to get tested who the other potential victims of HIV were.

Poaster said that the Health Center does not receive many requests for HIV testing. She also said the majority of those tests are for students traveling out of the country or going into the Peace Corps. In cases, in which the test is required, it cannot be anonymous.
The Health Center currently offers pap smears and testing for STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes and papillomavirus. HIV and other STDs are not prevalent at Brandeis, Poaster pointed out. Although she has only encountered two cases of chlamydia in the past four years, indicating the low number of STDs on campus, Poaster commented "everyone is concerned about HIV."

Emphasizing that "testing is one piece of trying to be safe," Poaster stressed it is not acceptable to substitute an HIV test for preventative safety measures.
Brandeis has arranged for students requesting HIV testing to have the test conducted at Mass General's General Infectious Disease (GID) Unit. The free and anonymous testing requires no appointment and is a state-funded program that uses numbers instead of names to identify patients. David Gould, associate vice president for students and enrollment, noting the difficulty in anonymous testing, cited the arrangement with Massachusetts General Hospital as an "appropriate and available service in the vicinity."

Gould underlined the importance in making certain "that all students are aware of health resources that they may feel a need for."
Students have expressed different opinions of whether Brandeis should provide the service of anonymous HIV Testing.
HIV testing is "a service that should be provided" Angela Lo '04 said.

While few deny that the arrangement with Mass General will be beneficial to students, there is concern that the trek by the commuter rail and red-line of the T may discourage students from seeking testing.

But, the convenience of on-campus testing must be weighed against the feasibility and cost of the anonymous test.

Rachel Gerber '04 said she observes the time students spend at Brandeis represents a significant period in their lives, during which many will become sexually active. Gerber noted that she feels students should be able to receive the test on the Brandeis campus and not have to travel to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Janna Rosenberg '02, a resident adviser, said she can see situations where a student may want his or her significant other to be tested for HIV. The advantage of on-campus testing would be worth-while, Rosenberg explained, "even if we only get three people to be tested.