National HIV Testing Week 22 - 30th November
Get checked out during HIV Testing Week
If you live in South West London, you can get a free, fast, confidential HIV test with results in 15 minutes during the week. Simply visit www.swish.nhs.uk now to find out when and where to get tested.
The council’s public health department is supporting the ‘It Starts With Me” campaign running across the UK during the week. It encourages people to take personal responsibility in the push to cut new infections through more testing.
Wandsworth Director of Public Health Houda Al-Sharifi said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to get tested for HIV. Many people are put off testing and are scared about waiting for results. With our new fast, free and confidential tests we can give you results in 15 minutes making it far less stressful.”
The testing service is open evenings and weekends from Friday November 22 to Sunday November 30. The test is a simple finger prick blood test carried out by trained staff across South West London. World AIDS Day is on December 1. For local events information please contact sexualhealth@wandsworth.gov.uk
Public Health England reports there are around 22,000 people in the UK unaware they have HIV infection, and so need to be tested.
Once someone knows they have HIV, they can take control of their health and get treatment. This will not only prolong their life but also make them far less likely to transmit the virus to others.
People who are diagnosed late are ten times more likely to die within a year of testing positive than those who are diagnosed more promptly. Undiagnosed HIV may mean that someone could transmit HIV unintentionally, putting someone they care about at risk. It is better to test and know your status. If a test result shows that you have the HIV virus, you will receive full support and all treatment needed to control it.
London has some of the highest rates of HIV infection in England, and Wandsworth’s public health team is committed to supporting its residents to help get the numbers down.
If you have any questions, email sexualhealth@wandsworth.gov.uk
November 10, 2014