HIV Counseling and Testing Provider Information

The Tennessee Department of Health’s HIV Testing Program provides guidance, support, and resources for health departments, health care providers, and community-based organizations.

National and Regional Resources to Support HIV Testing Education

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers many free resources to support HIV testing:

·         HIV Nexus for Clinicians: Effective HIV prevention and treatment occurs across a continuum of care. This comprehensive approach spanning from HIV screening to treatment can help reduce HIV transmission and improve health outcomes among people with HIV (PWH). The CDC HIV Nexus is a one-stop location for information across the HIV continuum, including up-to-date tools and guidelines for your practice, and educational materials for your patients. Click here to learn more.

·         HIV Testing in Non-Clinical Settings: Non-clinical settings including community-based organizations can play a critical role in HIV prevention by offering HIV screening and linkage-to-care. Non-clinical settings typically offer same-day rapid testing and other HIV prevention services (like free condoms and referrals for PrEP). The CDC has a guidance on providing HIV testing in non-clinical settings and a roundup of resources to support this work.

·         HIV Testing Guidelines: CDC has HIV testing guidelines for working with specific types of patients, implementing HIV testing in a wide range of situations, and for providing laboratory testing and patient counseling. For a full list of CDC HIV testing guidelines click here.

·         Training for HIV Testers and Prevention Professionals: CDC maintains an online hub, CDC Train, with self-paced courses, conference presentations, and access to instructor-led training for HIV testers and other HIV prevention professionals. Registration is free and gives you access to a large library of training materials.

A series of AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs) across the country provide training for HIV clinicians and public health professionals:

·         Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center: SE AETC serves HIV clinicians and public health professionals in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Registration is free and gives you access to a self-paced online learning curriculum, a library of webinars conducted by Southern HIV specialists, opportunities for continuing education credit, and a lot more.

Reporting Reactive/Positive HIV Test Results

All laboratories, health care providers, and organizations that provide HIV testing must report positive results to Tennessee Department of Health. Providers can learn more about what diseases in Tennessee are reportable, how to report new cases, and download reporting forms here. For additional information about how to report HIV rapid test results, contact Bob Nelson, HIV Prevention Testing Program Director.

Rapid HIV Testing in Tennessee

Tennessee Department of Health issued guidance around providing rapid HIV testing. The Double Rapid HIV Testing Guidelines include the current point-of-care double rapid HIV testing algorithm, information about reporting rapid HIV testing results, policy and legal considerations for HIV rapid testing providers in Tennessee, and quality assurance best practices for HIV rapid testing programs. These guidelines are designed for health care providers and community-based organizations.

A double rapid HIV testing program guidance for health departments in Tennessee can be obtained by contacting Bob Nelson, HIV Prevention Testing Program Director.

Non-clinical HIV testing sites using rapid HIV tests must obtain a certificate of waiver under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) or must establish an agreement to work under the CLIA certificate of an existing laboratory.

For more information about the CLIA Certificate of Waiver from the CDC, click here. To learn more about Tennessee’s CLIA requirements click here. The HIV Prevention Testing Program offers technical assistance on how to apply for a CLIA Waiver to conduct rapid HIV testing. For more information contact Bob Nelson, HIV Prevention Testing Program Director.

HIV Prevention Counseling and Testing Training in Tennessee

The I Know – HIV Prevention Counseling and Testing training is required certification for HIV testing programs who receive HIV tests from TDH and Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) in health departments in the state of Tennessee. This training is conducted in partnership with community-based organizations to ensure that the most updated, culturally appropriate content is provided. Click here for more information about I Know and the schedule of upcoming courses.

Page updated July 2023.