DEAR DR. 1) WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TAKING A GENOTYPE TEST. DO YOU HAVE TO BE ON DRUGS, OFF DRUGS OR DO YOU NEED TO HAVE A VIRAL LOAD? 2)WHERE IN THE ATLANTA AREA CAN I GET ONE DONE SINCE MY DOCTOR HAS A PROBLEM GIVING ME THE TEST? AND 3) CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE TEST AND WHAT IS DOES? PLEASE HELP I'VE BEEN POSITIVE FOR TEN YEARS BEEN ON EVERYTHING FROM AZT-VIRACEPT. IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS I'VE HAD PANCREATITIS TWICE. PLEASE HELP.

1. The only requirement is that you have a viral load of <500/ml or so. We are using the test in newly infected people, who have not seen any drugs, and in people who are durg exposed to determine the next regimen.

2. Applied Scientific in Atlanta.

3. A genotype looks at the DNA sequence of the reverse transcriptase and protease genes of your blood plasma viral strain. We know what the major changes are that confer primary drug resistance for all licensed drugs. We can use this info to know what drugs to use or not to use. Sometimes we can go back to older drugs, even if you have used them, if resistance mutations are not present.

MH