Los Angeles -- The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the County of Los Angeles, is seeking participants for a study that will attempt to identify HIV-positive people before standard tests identify them as HIV infected, and potentially eradicate the virus through early and aggressive treatments.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's HIV testing site and Los Angeles County's The S.T.O.R.E. are the only two testing sites in the country participating in this study. To date, attempts to eliminate HIV from the body have been unsuccessful.

Study participants will be tested for HIV using a viral load test (PCR test), which can detect the presence of HIV before antibodies to HIV are detected by a standard (ELISA) HIV test.

Those who test positive with the PCR test, but do not yet test positive with the ELISA test, will have the option to receive free aggressive drug treatments, known as HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy), as well as state-of-the-art HIV/AIDS medical care through the Gay & Lesbian Center and the NIH.

"By catching the virus earlier -- before it's detectable with the standard HIV test -- we're hoping to more effectively treat those who are infected," said Dr. Mark Dybul, the NIH principal investigator for this study.

"If the treatments are successful, we will have made important strides in the effort to control the progression of HIV disease, possibly suppressing it to a point where treatment is no longer necessary."

Individuals who believe they may have recently been exposed to HIV can participate in this study by testing at the Gay & Lesbian Center or at The S.T.O.R.E.

For purposes of this study, recent exposure is defined as a few days to three months after the high-risk incident. As always, HIV testing at the Gay & Lesbian Center and at The S.T.O.R.E. is offered free, with no appointment necessary.

Participants can enroll through the Gay & Lesbian Center or The S.T.O.R.E. Appointments are not required. Testing hours for this study at the Gay & Lesbian Center are 9am-1pm and 2-5:30pm Monday through Friday. S.T.O.R.E. testing hours for this study are 11:30am-4pm Tuesday-Friday. The S.T.O.R.E. is located at 745 N. San Vicente Blvd. (near the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and San Vicente) in West Hollywood.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center is said to be the world's largest gay and lesbian organization and is a leading HIV/AIDS care provider, welcoming more than 15,000 visits from ethnically diverse youth and adults each month.

It is a non-profit force for gay and lesbian civil rights and a home to a wide array of free or low cost health, legal, employment, educational, cultural and social programs designed especially for gay men and lesbians. Services are provided by a staff of more than 260 employees and 3,000 volunteers.