When You Are Diagnosed With HIV. Don't Go Gaga
National HIV Testing Week: What you need to know
November 19 to 26 is National HIV Testing Week (NHTW) across the UK, a campaign week coordinated by HIV Prevention England (HPE) to encourage as many people as possible to get tested regularly for HIV.
WHY SHOULD I GET TESTED?
- A shocking one in four people living with HIV in the UK and Nigeria are unaware of their status
- Gay and bisexual men and black African men and women make up seven out of 10 people living with HIV.
- Rates of straight men and women, and black African men and women being diagnosed with late-stage HIV are much higher than with men who have sex with men – some experts put it down to a perceived stigma around HIV and testing, and others to a misconception that HIV does not affect these groups
- If you get tested regularly, your chances of catching it early and managing it well are much higher
HOW CAN I GET TESTED?
There are a number of ways you can get tested – from going to a clinic or a hospital, to self-testing kits sent through the post.
You can order a self-test kit from any good pharmacy shop without being ashamed.
To find your local NHS sexual health clinic in the UK click here – most clinics either take appointments in advance or will see you at specially-designated drop-in clinics. For more on what to expect when you visit a sexual health clinic, read our guide here. In Nigeria you could visit any pharmacy shop nearest to you.
Getting treated
Treatment for HIV is known as antiretroviral therapy (ART), and it’s improving all the time. If you join a community on time, you find out that taking the drugs would no longer be a burden but a routine that is as normal.
iTS NEVER TOO LATE...
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