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  • Prince Harry awareness campaign boosts HIV self tests

    Prince Harry awareness campaign boosts HIV self tests

    Prince Harry’s HIV awareness campaign has led to a spike in ordering at-home HIV self tests.

    CREDIT: Facebook Live

     

    Prince Harry‘s campaign to create awareness on the importance of HIV testing has led to a dramatic increase in at-home HIV self test kits ordered from one of the UK’s leading HIV charities, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT).

    The Prince made global news when he took a HIV test live on Facebook’s Live Platform.

    THT launched an innovative pilot offering people the chance to find out their HIV status privately – in their own space, in their own time, on their terms – by taking a HIV self test and getting their results in just 15 minutes.

    Over 4750 BioSure kits were sent out by THT before the pilot ended.

     

    Making HIV Tests Accessible

    Dr Michael Brady, Medical Director for Terrence Higgins Trust, said,

    “We know that one in six people living with HIV do not know that they have it. Testing puts you in control and, thanks to treatment, will stop you from getting seriously ill, enable you to live a normal lifespan and prevent you from passing the virus on to anyone else.

    “That’s why it’s so important that we continue looking for new ways to make HIV testing more accessible to those most at risk, and why it’s fantastic to see the very tangible and immediate impact of Prince Harry’s support for HIV testing.”

     

    Orders for the kits came in from across the UK, including Guernsey,  Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, with the average age of those ordering coming in at 31-years-old.

     

    BioSure Self HIV Test

     

    ALSO READ: At home HIV test reviewed by our Editor

     

    Sharing Results.

    Half of those who ordered kits from the pilot scheme shared their results with THT, twenty-six of those who order the kits told the charity that they had a positive result. Each of these respondents got a personal call from Terrence Higgins Trust to discuss their result, provide support and ensure that they know how to access HIV care.

    Chris, who ordered a kit said,

    “The HIV home tests came within a few days and I had my results no longer than 30 minutes after opening the package. The instructions were clear and understandable, with the online step-by-step video explaining even further. Nothing at all could be misunderstood.”

    The tests, which are normally £29.95 to buy from BioSure, were provided free of charge during the pilot and funded by Terrence Higgins Trust, but people receiving a test were given the option of making a voluntary donation to fund a test for someone else.

    The scheme was made possible thanks to funding from the Terrence Higgins Trust Lighthouse Fund and BioSure.

    You can now order self testing kits from Amazon.

  • 8 Reasons To Test For HIV

    As National HIV Testing week draws close, the reasons to test for HIV have never been clearer.

    Sponsored by

    biosure

     

     

     

     

    HIV is 3 letters, not a sentence. Especially for those who are able to treat the virus, and early detection means better results and a longer, healthier life. Here are eight reasons to test for HIV.

    1) Be In The Know. According to Public Health England there are 103,700 people in the UK living with HIV. Over 18,000 of them don’t know they have it – and could be spreading the virus even further. There are an estimated 6,500 gay or bisexual men who don’t know that they are living with HIV.

    2) Early Bird. Early detection means better results from the treatment for HIV, resulting in a longer, healthier life.

    3) You’re Not Alone. If you’re afraid that you might not cope with a HIV diagnosis, there are loads and loads of support groups, charities and healthcare professionals to help you. All you have to do is ask for help. You won’t have to face HIV alone.

    4) Stigma Exists. One of the most difficult things many people living with HIV find is the stigma that still exists around the status. Medicine has come a long way; society has yet to follow on as quickly. Getting tested often means that you could be more mindful about your health.

    5) Knowledge Is Power. Sleeping with someone who knows that they are HIV positive could be safer than having sex with someone who doesn’t know their status and may take more risks.

    6) Restart The Clock. Without being glib, many people who have learnt that they are HIV positive have talked about feeling the opportunity to restart the clock. Changes to lifestyle and diet become a priority and general interest in your health can only be a good thing.

    7) Engaged With Your Sex. Getting tested means you’re taking responsibility for your general health and your sexual health – good for you and great for the people you sleep with.

    8) No Longer Need To Go The Clinic. You can now get a self-test kit that can be performed wherever and whenever is convenient for you. Best of all with the BioSure kit you only need half a drop of blood and not a vial full that some other kits require. Testing yourself just takes seconds with easy to read results in only 15 minutes, without you having to send them off to a lab. No waiting in the sexual health clinic. No waiting a week for results to be texted to you.

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