National HIV Testing Week is back! From Monday 7 February the Terrence Higgins Trust are calling on people across the country to ‘give HIV the finger’.
National HIV Testing Week is a great opportunity for you to get tested and encourage others to do the same, particularly those from groups most affected by HIV, including gay and bisexual men and black African men and women.
This year’s campaign follows National HIV Testing Week 2021’s record-breaking success — more people than ever before took action and got tested. It’s crucial that we maintain this momentum as we work towards ending new cases of HIV in England by 2030.
Regular HIV testing benefits each and every one of us. People can live with HIV for a long time without any symptoms, testing is the only way to know your status. The sooner you know it, the sooner you can get on treatment if needed and avoid passing the virus on to anyone else. Most people will get a negative result but whatever happens, it’s important to know that anyone diagnosed with HIV in the UK can access free treatment and support.
Regular HIV testing also helps to reduce the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV and those diagnosed late. This is vital as 1 in 20 people living with HIV are unaware they have it, increasing the risk of passing it on to sexual partners. Additionally, 42% of people diagnosed with HIV in 2020 were diagnosed late—at this point, the virus has already started to damage your immune system.
It’s never been easier to get an HIV test and to get a result quickly – you can get a test in person from Sexual Health Clinics in Barnstaple, Exeter or Torbay or from your local GP or healthcare provider. You can also order a home test kit online during testing week – check out the Devon Sexual Health website for more information. Many tests will provide you with a result in just a few minutes.
For more details, you can contact Devon Sexual Health on 0300 3033989 or visit: https://www.devonsexualhealth.nhs.uk/ for HIV testing, information and support.
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