On Nationwide HIV Testing Day, SAMHSA Encourages Everybody at Threat for HIV to Get Examined

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.” Based on 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 danger components could profit from testing not less than yearly, or as soon as each 3-6 months, relying on danger. HIV testing is simple, quick, confidential, and is step one in a single’s care or prevention journey. People who check optimistic for HIV might be linked to lifesaving HIV remedy. People who check adverse for HIV can obtain empowering details about safer intercourse, substance use prevention/remedy, and well being care. People that check adverse can also achieve entry to highly effective instruments like Pre-Publicity Prophylaxis or medication to stop HIV. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity for particular person and group 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 danger 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 accomplice organizations can attain folks in danger for or dwelling with HIV to encourage testing. SAMHSA has lengthy inspired (PDF | 1 MB) substance use dysfunction and psychological well being remedy suppliers to combine HIV testing into routine care. In truth, it’s a requirement for a few of SAMHSA’s grants. SAMHSA encourages grant recipients to comply with CDC’s HIV testing pointers 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 danger and prevention methods, you should utilize the HIV Threat Discount Device. If you want to obtain an HIV check in particular person, you’ll find a testing supplier via the CDC’s Get Examined web site. For those who would favor to manage your individual check, HIV self-testing might be executed wherever and everytime you select. Lastly, for those who, or somebody you realize, is searching for assist for substance use or psychological sickness, SAMHSA’s Behavioral Well being Remedy Companies Locator will help you join with remedy applications in your space.

SAMHSA wish to take this chance to thank our grant recipients and accomplice organizations for his or her perseverance and adaptability in making certain that HIV testing is straightforward, accessible, inexpensive, 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 method that works finest for you – whether or not it’s self-testing in your individual area 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 check at a time.