A family in Georgia claims that an urgent care clinic failed to inform their teenage daughter about a positive HIV test result, which she discovered herself through an online patient portal.
They later found out the result was a false positive, but the ordeal nearly ended in tragedy when the girl attempted to take her own life after learning of the diagnosis.
Wishing to remain anonymous to protect their daughter’s privacy, the family recounted that the incident began in June when the teenager visited Pickens Urgent Care in Decatur. The mother described waking up to her daughter’s screams after the girl checked her MyChart account around 2 a.m. and found the positive result.
“I just didn’t feel good at that moment,” the teenager explained. The mother had to force her way into her daughter’s locked room only to discover that the girl had made a suicide attempt.
“I was just crying. I felt like my life was over,” the teenager expressed.
According to the mother, the clinic never contacted them about the test results. Eventually, they had four more tests conducted at different facilities, all of which came back negative. A nurse at an HIV clinic encouraged them to dig deeper into the situation.
“She said, ‘Mom, this is a false positive. Do your research on that clinic. Do your due diligence,’” the mother recalled.
The family later found numerous negative reviews of the clinic online, with many complaints about long wait times and allegations of negligent care.
“What if I hadn’t gone to another clinic to get tested? I would have just gone on thinking that I had it,” the teenager remarked.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that patients with positive HIV results should be promptly and confidentially notified and connected to follow-up care. The CDC emphasizes that timely notification is critical for improving health outcomes and reducing transmission risks.
In this case, however, the family claims the necessary communication from the clinic never occurred. Only after Channel 2 Action News visited the clinic in person did the mother receive a call.
Officials at the clinic reportedly explained that HIV patients are usually scheduled for a follow-up appointment within five days.
“Thank God it was a false positive,” the mother said regarding her daughter’s experience. “We just want to ensure this doesn’t happen to any other teenagers.”
Georgia, like most states, lacks specific licensing or regulation for urgent care centers. Medical professionals are individually licensed, or the clinic operates under a hospital’s license if affiliated.
The Independent has reached out to Pickens Urgent Care and the Georgia Composite Medical Board for comments.
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