Ms Deirdre Seery:

Instantly. It is a one-minute test. If a test is reactive, that is, if there is a possibility that someone has HIV, we must deal with it sensitively. A part of normalising HIV testing is to have people involved who will not panic in the event of a reactive test. Supports and treatments exist. It is just a question of ensuring the people are supported if they receive reactive tests. In Cork, our testing is done on Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Tuesday evenings, we have walk-in and by-appointment testing. Next year, we will have more outreach clinics. Whenever there is an event like Valentine's day, we do more testing. We are making it possible for people to test at times that are convenient for them.

We do not have environments in our centres where people must queue and wait. They can come in, have coffee and take their tests. It is actually quite a pleasant experience. That is what people have told us in our evaluations. They come to us anxious and leave relieved, even if they get reactive tests.