Family says urgent care failed to notify teen of positive HIV test later determined to be incorrect

New at 6, a DeKalb County mother says an urgent care clinic never contacted them after her teenage daughter's HIV test came back positive.The family later learned that result was incorrect.Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashley Lincoln is live on Fletchells Parkway and Ashley, the family says they're raising questions about what they call a life -altering mistake.

Yeah, the family classifies this as devastating news, but they're happy that that result turned out to be negative.They said after their daughter tested at this facility, they did not hear from anyone from this urgent care for weeks.

I just, I didn't feel good at that moment.

This DeKalb County teenager showed the physical scars left behind after she attempted to take her own life moments after seeing a positive HIV diagnosis from Pickens Urgent Care.

I was just crying like I feel like my life was over.

Both the teen and her mom told me emotional scars remain.They asked to conceal their identities for privacy.Her mother says she heard her daughter screaming around 2 a .m.in June.

I picked the lock, go in the bathroom.She's on the floor crying.

The family says the teen found the diagnosis while checking her online medical portal.They say no one from Pickens Urgent Care called to explain the result, offer support, or schedule follow -up care.

The clinic never contacted us.The doctor didn't contact us.

second opinion.She had her daughter tested at four different medical facilities.

Everything came back negative.

She says a nurse at an HIV clinic urged her to dig deeper.

She said, Mom, this is a false positive.Do your research on that clinic.Do your due diligence.

The family found dozens of online complaints alleging misdiagnosis, lost medical samples, and poor patient care at the same facility.

If you're messing up somebody's diagnosis, like, what if I didn't go to another clinic to get, I would have just went on and thinking that I had it and would have been back.

I called an email position.Urgent Care.No one has responded.So I went in person.An employee said management was working to provide an official statement.They did say all patients are given follow -up appointments within five days after HIV testing.

But this DeKalb family says their medical portal shows no upcoming scheduled appointments.

A real unprofessional clinic.

I learned there's no state agency that oversees and regulates urgent cares in Georgia.Rather, the medical providers are licensed individually through the state.

Thank God it was a false positive, but we just want to make sure this don't happen to any other teenagers.

And after I left this facility this afternoon, the mother called me and says the clinic finally contacted her.She says it's the first form of contact from this facility since her daughter took that test back in June.Reporting live tonight in South Dekalb, I'm Ashley Lincoln, Channel 2 Action News.

What a shock.I'm so glad you looked into this, Ashley.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has guidance for how health care providers should deliver HIV test results to patients.The agency says HIV results should be shared through through a confidential conversation.If the test is positive, providers should deliver the results personally, not by mail, and help connect patients with treatment, counseling, and support.The CDC says early treatment leads to better health outcomes and helps reduce the spread of the virus.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or even thoughts of suicide, you can always call the National Helpline.Dial 988.Again, 988.You can text, too, and you'll be connected with a counselor.number or visit the 988lifeline .org website.