The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires all community-based testing sites to target their testing to at-risk groups, so that at least 1% of those who are tested for HIV are positive. A positivity rate of 1% or greater is considered an indicator of success of CTR delivered through community-based testing sites.

Vermont’s overall HIV prevalence of less than 0.5% and an annual incidence of only a few new cases makes this indicator difficult to achieve.

HIV CTR Providers throughout Vermont include:

• -Community Based Organizations
• -AIDS Service Organizations
• -Federally Qualified Health Centers
• -Health Department District Office HIV/AIDS/STD/Hepatitis Program Designees

CTR services are targeted to individuals at increased risk in an effort to appeal to people who may be infected with HIV and unaware of their status. Additionally, the Health Department supports Innovative Testing Projects (ITPs) that are implementing new strategies in order to engage individuals at the highest risk who are not otherwise being tested.

CDC Guidance on counseling, testing and referral: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5019a1.htm

The Health Department will expand implementation of new strategies and methods to provide CTLC services to Vermonters who have HIV but are unaware of their status by:

• The Health Department will support targeted HIV CTLC services at through HIV testing providers that have a demonstrated ability to reach individuals at high risk for HIV infection
• The Health Department will fund HIV Innovative Testing Projects (ITP) through the current HIV testing provider network. These projects will seek to explore new ways of targeting HIV testing to reach individuals that are HIV positive, but whom are not currently engaged in medical care for their HIV and link them ultimately to HIV medical care.

The Health Department will analyze the successes of the ITP programs and implement lessons learned in the wider HIV CTLC network to ensure that CTLC services remain relevant in meeting the needs of individuals at high risk for acquiring HIV.