HIV Testing is Self-care: Testing is vital to ending the HIV epidemic
Monday, June 27, 2022, is Nationwide HIV Testing Day (NHTD), a chance to emphasise and encourage HIV testing. The theme is “HIV Testing is Self-care.” In response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), everybody between the ages of 13 and 64 ought to get examined for HIV not less than as soon as per lifetime as a part of routine well being care. These with sure threat components might profit from testing not less than yearly, or as soon as each 3-6 months, relying on threat. HIV testing is straightforward, quick, confidential, and is step one in a single’s care or prevention journey. People who take a look at constructive for HIV could be linked to lifesaving HIV therapy. People who take a look at unfavorable for HIV can obtain empowering details about safer intercourse, substance use prevention/therapy, and well being care. People that take a look at unfavorable can also achieve entry to highly effective instruments like Pre-Publicity Prophylaxis or drugs to stop HIV. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity for particular person and neighborhood actions to guard and promote bodily and psychological well being has by no means been larger.
Individuals with psychological sickness and/or substance use dysfunction are at elevated threat of getting and transmitting HIV. The Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration (SAMHSA) is dedicated to addressing this problem. SAMHSA’s mission is to scale back the impression of substance use and psychological sickness on America’s communities. SAMHSA’s substance use and psychological well being grant recipients and associate organizations can attain individuals in danger for or dwelling with HIV to encourage testing. SAMHSA has lengthy inspired (PDF | 1 MB) substance use dysfunction and psychological well being therapy suppliers to combine HIV testing into routine care. In actual fact, it’s a requirement for a few of SAMHSA’s grants. SAMHSA encourages grant recipients to comply with CDC’s HIV testing tips for scientific settings, full CME coaching on HIV screening, and distribute HIV self-testing kits.
If you want to entry tailor-made details about your private HIV threat and prevention methods, you should utilize the HIV Threat Discount Software. If you want to obtain an HIV take a look at in particular person, yow will discover a testing supplier by means of the CDC’s Get Examined web site. If you happen to would favor to manage your individual take a look at, HIV self-testing could be carried out wherever and everytime you select. Lastly, in case you, or somebody you understand, is searching for assist for substance use or psychological sickness, SAMHSA’s Behavioral Well being Therapy Companies Locator will help you join with therapy packages in your space.
SAMHSA wish to take this chance to thank our grant recipients and associate organizations for his or her perseverance and suppleness in guaranteeing that HIV testing is straightforward, accessible, reasonably priced, and routine. SAMHSA additionally wish to encourage everybody in danger for HIV, particularly these with psychological well being and substance use points, to make use of NHTD to get examined in a manner that works greatest for you – whether or not it’s self-testing in your individual house or discovering a testing website close by. Collectively we will finish the HIV epidemic and cut back the associated toll of psychological sickness and substance use, one HIV take a look at at a time.