STD, HIV Clinics - Anonymous

Life Health & Fitness
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Does anyone know where to go to get anonymous HIV testing in Taipei? One of my friends (a Taiwanese) wants to go next time he visits, but he’s not from Taipei so doesn’t know where to get this done. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[color=#000080]MODERATORS’ NOTE:[/color] [color=#800000]Most of the stale links and irrelevance has been removed from this thread. If anyone has further information about irregularities, please contact[/color] [color=#000080]jimipresley[/color] or [color=#000080]Scomargo[/color].

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[Original Subject: STD clinic]
Does any body know if there is an anonymous STD clinic in Tai-chung b[/b]? If so then where is it?
Thanks.

3

I went to the following place and had a good experience. Little bit of a hole in the wall, but very nice lady who sat down and had a long discussion with me. She did not speak English, but she knew key technical terms, and my Chinese was good enough that we got everything sorted out.

They offer completely anonymous testing, and they even take NHI. However, being paranoid, I paid in cash (NT500) because I wanted as much anonymity as possible.

They offerred the saliva test, which is an applicator placed into the mouth for two minutes. After the test she gave me a card with a number and a date to call for results after two weeks. Unlike the US, they are allowed to give results over the phone here in Taiwan.

They also gave me info on another place that had blood viral testing, which will give results in a few hours, but is much more expensive at NT3,000. This test is good for if you have just been infected and your body has not started producing anti-bodies in sufficient quantity for the regular AIDS test to record a positive.

The only other caveat is that I had to fill out a sexual conduct questionare. It was all in Chinese but the lady was more than happy to help me out with understanding what each item was. I was very glad nobody else stopped by while she was demonstrating oral and anal sex using charades type gestures. I answered yes to a lot of stuff, but the embarrassment of going through the survey with her was enough to make me want to change my ways! :stuck_out_tongue:

The website and address are below. It is at the very end of Boai Road, next to the post office. If you are looking straight at the post office turn right and look for the little alley way and walk into and down it and then turn right and you will see there sign. Go up to the third floor. Not too far from the Hsimenting MRT station, should be able to walk from there in about 5-10 minutes.

Be safe,

FEI

lofaa.org.tw/
(couldn’t get the chinese address to print correctly, but it is on the website)
Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Boai Road, Alley 1, #1, 3rd Floor

4

Does anyone care about HIV now? How about anonymous SARS testing in Taiwan?

5

Well, I for one do care. SARS has a mortality rate of 5-6%, while HIV is 100%.

As for anonymous SARS testing, they have not yet developed an accurate test for it last I read on the news, and nobody would give it anonymously even if they did. Instead you would be immediately contained and put into quarantine even if you refused to give your name.

6

i have heard that one can get hiv tested and get the results in a few hours. does anyone know which hospital or clinic does this. if so, how much? is it anonymous?

7

I have finally found some anonymous HIV testing locations in Taipei so I wanted to put it up here on the thread because they are quite hard to find, and some of the other references to these facilities in online forums is a bit vague.

The following hospitals in Taiwan have departments that do anonymous HIV tests.

Taipei City Hospital, Ximen Branch, STD Clinic (09) 6895 1563
National Taiwan University Hospital (02) 2356 2942
Taipei Veterans General Hospital (02) 2875 1997
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch (03) 328 1200 ext 2040
Taichung Veterans General Hospital (04) 359-2525 ext 3100
National Cheng Kung University Hospital (06) 235 3535 ext 2646
Kaohsiung Medical University Chunh Ho Memorial Hospital (07) 321 4227
Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (07) 346 8299

I have personally used two of these services.

Taipei City Hospital, Ximen Branch. The clinic here is also known as the Ximen STD Control Clinic, and is the one most people seem to know. This is located at 100 Kunming St, Ximen, only 5 minutes walk from Ximen MRT exit 6. It is on the corner of Kunming and Emei St, opposite the big car park. But you have to be careful because there are 2 different HIV testing clinics in the hospital.

The signposted one on the 2nd floor is the standard STD clinic where you have to show your ID, register, wait in a clinic queue, see a doctor, get sent somewhere else to have your blood taken, then pay the fee and come back later to get the result. This one is NOT anonymous. Despite calling themselves an STD clinic they seem to only take blood tests for HIV and syphilis. They might, if you’re lucky, give you an opinion on anything else visible on the skin, but will not physically examine, touch or undertake any intrusive procedures that you might expect at a normal STD clinic. They will refer you to the Family Medicine or Urology department, possibly at another hospital! They do not seem to be very gay friendly either. But they do offer the same day test result if you want that.

The anonymous clinic is on the 3rd floor and not signposted. Call and make a booking first on (09) 6895 1563. To find it, walk out of the lift, turn right then left, straight through the flower garden looking dividers into a pleasant waiting room. Look for a staff member in the corridor to the right off the waiting room, about the 2nd or 3rd door on the left. Make sure you tell them you are looking for the ANONYMOUS HIV test, (maybe try saying “the HIV test when you don’t have to give your name”) otherwise they may try to send you back downstairs to the 2nd floor clinic. Once they establish what you are looking for they will sit you down and take your blood, give you a reference number and ask you to call back in one week for the result over the phone. It’s anonymous and free, and they seem much more gay-friendly and personable than the doctors downstairs. You can ask for further counseling if required.

The other one is at National Taiwan University Hospital. You can phone to make a booking on 02 2312 3456 ext 7552 or 09 6819 2151. I spoke to a very nice, friendly lady called Ms Wu. Apparently the hospital is changing its number in July 2008 so the new number might be 02 23167552 ext 7552. To find the clinic itself is difficult. It is a small office conducting research and they administer the tests there. You may want to get accurate directions over the phone when you book your appointment with Ms Wu. But they are very helpful and gay-friendly. They will ask you to complete a questionnaire to help with their research and take your blood to test for HIV, syphilis and amoeba. You will be given a code and you ring back usually the same day and get the results. It is free, anonymous and same day - I highly recommend this service.

For more information PM me.

8

PEP is a course of immediate treatment you can take if you think you may have been very recently exposed to HIV. It has “not been proven to work in a community setting” but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. It is still the number one and only form of treatment for people who have been recently exposed and it’s the international standard so I guess that means it must be good for something. You must start taking it within 72 hours of infection, and the sooner the better. You must take the whole course for 30 days.

From what I can tell PEP is not generally available here in Taiwan. It is available however at major hospitals specifically for medical workers in the event of needle stick injuries, etc. I think part of the reason that it is not made more generally available here may have something to do with the famous Taiwanese propensity to over-consume all medical services and drugs when they are made freely available. If it was advertised to the general public the hospitals would probably be overrun with people who had had perfectly safe sex using condoms but, being paranoid about AIDS, wanting to buy a pill as insurance “just in case”! I know of Taiwanese friends who will book themselves into a hospital for an afternoon just to have a sleeping pill and get a few good hours sleep!

So if you genuinely think you have been exposed you will have to go pleading with hospital emergency staff at a major hospital to try and get it, and if you are lucky they will take pity on you, take your blood test and give you a 3 day starter course and then you will have to return for an appointment at a clinic to get the rest. If you don’t have national insurance you can expect to pay about $8,000 for the first 3 days worth of drugs alone. But be advised that the side effects of PEP can be quite difficult to cope with, which is why many people do not make it through the entire course. It varies between people of course but an ongoing nauseous feeling and lack of appetite are common.

If you think you might need PEP you might try a major hospital emergency department like National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei. I hope this is of help to anyone in need.

9

I got the following information for someone in need of an anonymous HIV test, and thought it might be of help for others. The following information comes from the clinic……

Address:
(Near Kuting MRT)
南昌醫學檢驗院
地址:台北市福州街11-9號

Telephone:
T: 02-2321-0139

Opening times?
M-F 8am – 8pm. Sat 8am – 10am

Does anyone at the clinic speak English?
Yes, basic English

Test cost
NT$800

How long for the test results?
Test morning = result afternoon. Test afternoon = result following morning.

Are the results also in English?
Yes

Is the test anonymous?
Yes. ID not required. You need to write a name at registration, but the clinic said they wouldn’t know if someone gave a false name/details. In fact, the clinic volunteered this idea/suggestion without being asked.

If test is positive, does the clinic report result/individual to the government?
No. The clinic does not report anything to the government. But they do advise the individual go to a specialist HIV hospital for further tests. The clinic can’t and won’t make you go to the hospital (I double checked this). The specialist hospital then does further tests. This hospital DOES require your true name and ID. If you test positive for HIV they have to inform the government*

*I believe this could lead to serious complications with your visa status here in Taiwan. Not that this will be the main thing on your mind or should delay you from getting further advice and support.

Does the clinic do other types of tests (STD, etc)?
Yes, but I didn’t ask which ones.

10

Cheers.
What is that address in English?

11

南昌醫學檢驗院 Nan-Chen Medical Testing Clinic
地址:台北市福州街11-9號 No. 11-9 Fuzhou St, Taipei City

NCKU Hospital in Tainan also does anonymous tests for HIV. You walk up the escalator at the main entrance and go to the right, where they take blood, and talk to the nurse there. Most people at the hospital speak English.

12

A few days ago I was looking for information about where to get an HIV test done in Kaohsiung. I couldn’t find anything concrete on here, so I’d like to share the information that I found.

Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital
No.100 , ZiYou 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan

I think the nearest MRT is Houyi (exit 2 i think - but don’t quote me on that)

Take the elevator to the 16th Floor and turn right to the infectious diseases department. There is a lady there who speaks English and the service is quick and efficient. They test for HIV and several other STDs. It’s completely anonymous and free and you’ll get the results in 2 days.

If anyone has any more questions, I’ll answer them as best I can.

Cheers

[color=#000080]MODERATOR NOTE: Merged from “Anonymous HIV Test Kaohsiung”[/color]

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Hi, two questions, actually: since if you test positive for HIV they deport you, is there any trouble for a foreigner getting tested anonymously? If not, is there anywhere in Hsinchu to go for it?

[color=#000080]MODERATOR NOTE: Merged from “Anonymous HIV test in Hsinchu”[/color]

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IMO, they will deport you anyway once your ARC is expired, so what is the difference. If you did contract HIV, wouldn’t you want to go home and get help anyway? Just my 2 cents. I don’t know about Hsinchu, but I think there is one in Taoyuan, and a couple in Tpe.

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Probably not if you happen to be American.

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IMO, they will deport you anyway once your ARC is expired, so what is the difference.[/quote]
Not if you renew your ARC. No medical check is required for it.

I’m sure there must be clinics where you can get anonymous testing.

Brings up an anecdote: last month I went to Ren-Ai Hospital for the APRC health check. It includes HIV screening. The consent form said something like “This test is confidential. If you test positive, we will report you to the authorities in a confidential way.” :roflmao:

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That’s not true. I have been here six years on the same ARC, every time I renew it, I need to do another medical check. It is required. Also starting the process for my APRC and that also includes a medical check.

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[quote=“rk1951”][quote=“Chris”]
Not if you renew your ARC. No medical check is required for it.

[/quote]

That’s not true.[/quote]

It is true. I renewed mine last week and didn’t need the medical check.

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[quote=“rk1951”][quote=“Chris”]
Not if you renew your ARC. No medical check is required for it.

[/quote]

That’s not true. I have been here six years on the same ARC, every time I renew it, I need to do another medical check. It is required. Also starting the process for my APRC and that also includes a medical check.[/quote]
I didn’t need a medical check two years ago when I last renewed it.

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I’m on my 3rd renewal, which was issued 9/29/2009, and I needed the medical check.

Is it true that non-teaching jobs don’t need it, though?