Time to test and defeat HIV

You might wonder why you’re always seeing articles and news stories about HIV testing. Surely everyone knows about it by now? Well, you may not know that if you are diagnosed early and start treatment on time you can expect to live a near-normal lifespan. You can have a career, relationship and a great sex life. You can also have children who are born without HIV. There’s another really good reason to get tested – HIV treatment is now free for everyone whatever their immigration status. This means that if you do have HIV you can take medicine to keep it under control as soon as you need it. So even if your papers aren’t in order, this is no longer a reason not to test. As you might know, African people are in a high-risk group for getting HIV. In fact over a quarter of African men with HIV don’t know they have it. Africans are also more likely to get diagnosed late when treatment will be less effective. At the moment everyone is encouraged to test for HIV to give them the best chance of a long and healthy life if they are HIV positive. It’s never been easier to get a test. For instance did you know you can get your results from some HIV tests in less than a minute? There are a range of places you can get tested – from your GP surgery to a sexual health clinic to a community centre or your local church. It is now also possible to test at home. HIV postal tests are a new way to have an HIV test. The free kit can be ordered from www.tht.org.uk/postaltest and will arrive in a plain package which will fit through your letterbox. The test can detect HIV around four weeks after you have been infected. All you have to do is prick your finger so a few drops of blood appear. Then you blot your finger onto a card, pop it in the post and wait for your result. You should get it around a week later. You’ll be texted if your result is negative and phoned if you need to come in for another test. You will be given all the support you need and be linked in to a local clinic. There really is no better time to test. Treatment means HIV can be controlled and you have every chance of a long and healthy life. Ignoring HIV won’t make it go away – in fact it means it is more likely to cause problems when it is diagnosed. So for peace of mind why not order a postal testing kit today? Where can I get an HIV test? Sexual health clinics These are usually based in hospitals. You can get a full sexual health screen or you may want advice on family planning or contraception. You can also get an HIV test in a sexual health clinic. The advantage of this is that if your test is positive you will be linked straight in to HIV services and offered counselling and other support. GP surgeries Many GPs offer HIV tests at surgeries. As most of us live close to our GP surgery, a test is only a few minutes away. If you get a positive result your GP will link you in to HIV care. In the community African Institute for Social Development(AISD)www.africaninstitute.org.uk Call or text 07572604343 Is a flexible place to get a HIV test Natonally charities such as Terrence Higgins Trust offer HIV testing in all sorts of convenient community locations. This could be your local church, barber shop or community centre. These clinics offer rapid HIV tests where you may get your result in less than a minute. At home Postal tests mean you can now test for HIV in the privacy of your home. The test is posted to you and when you have completed it you just post it back to our lab. You’ll get your result around a week later – by text if it is negative and by phone if it is positive. The service is private and confidential. To order a free postal test visit: www.tht.org.uk/postaltest or call THT Direct on 0808 802 1221 to find out where to test in your area. TAGS: Family, Featured Slide, health, hiv, hiv test, hiv testing, sex, sexual health, testing