Monday, 2nd November 2015
National HIV Testing Week takes place from 21st November 2015 and encourages people across the country to take an HIV test. Now it its fourth year, National HIV Testing Week (NTHW) promotes HIV testing to gay or bisexual men and black African men and women. These groups make up seven out of ten people in the UK living with HIV.
HIV testing is fast, easy and confidential. There are now a range of testing options available from postal tests, to sexual health clinics, communities sites (like Trade) and home testing.
If you test positive, early detection, monitoring and effective treatment means that your life largely carries on as before. Late diagnosis can cause serious health problems.
6,151 people were newly diagnosed in the UK in 2014. This figure was 6,032 in 2013 and 6,353 in 2010 (7,893 in 2005).
More information on HIV can be found on our HIV & AIDS section of our website.
European HIV-Hepititis Testing Week takes place from 20th November 2015. Now in its third year, the week has expanded for 2015 to include hepatitis. This week offers partners across Europe the opportunity to unite and increase awareness regarding the benefits of HIV and hepatitis testing, so that more people become knowledgeable about their risks, understand that there is effective treatment available, and are aware of their HIV and/or hepatitis status.
Hepatitis B and C are common among people at risk of, and among those living with HIV, because these viruses are tramsitted in many of the same ways HIV is transmitted. It is also more common within South Asian communities.
Treatment advances mean that those living with hepatitis C can be cured. Hepatitis B cannot be cured, but effective treatment with vaccination can permanently suppress the virus and thereby reduce the risk of liver damage.
More information can be found on our Hepatitis section of our website.
So now you are all clued up about HIV and Hepatitis. Check out all of the options available for you over this week for testing and your next steps:
Testing with Trade
Here at Trade, we will be offering our Kwik Prick Rapid HIV Testing as a drop-in service from Sunday 22nd November until Saturday 28th November at the following times:
Sunday 22nd November - 12-4pm
Monday 23rd - Friday 27th November - 10am-6pm
Saturday 28th November - 10am-4pm.
Your results will be available on the same day within about 30 minutes of testing. It's a perfect place to have your first HIV test, or if you haven't had one for a while.
*The results of this test will give you a clear indication of your HIV status as of 12 weeks ago. This test may potentially be able to detect HIV as of 4 weeks ago, but a follow-up test would be required. Please visit our Kwik Prick page for more info and FAQs*
Can't make it into Trade for a Rapid HIV test?
Don't worry! You can now also order HIV home sampling kits for FREE, proudly operated from Yorkshire by Preventex and MESMAC as the Nationally commissioned provider of HIV home-sampling screening.
The kits are small and discreet and are sent in a white plastic bag with no identifying markings or logos and everything is provided for you. Simply pierce, squeeze and drip into the vial, pop it all back into the box with the form provided, seal and post pack free of charge. Your results can be received in the method you wish to choose them, and you can also track your specimen and collect your results at any time via the handy tracking system.
Click here to order your HIV home-sampling kit now!
I want to test for HIV and Hepatitis. Where can I go?
.png)
The main places where you can get tested for HIV and Hepatitis are through Leicester Sexual Health Services, based in St Peter's Health Centre on Sparkenhoe Street in Leicester or Loughborough Health Centre on Pinfold Gate in Loughborough.
Alternatively, if you're a gay or bisexual man, or a man who sleeps with other men, then you can access our men's sauna clinics on the following dates:
Tuesday 24th November - 11am-2pm (Splash Spa & Leisure)
Tuesday 24th November - 3-6pm (Celts Sauna)
Thursday 26th November - 3-6pm (Splash Spa & Leisure)
There will also be an opportunity to talk to the Trade team and our nurse about starting the Hepatitis B vaccination programme if you haven't started it already, both at the sauna clinics and through Leicester Sexual Health Services.
