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

Take the Take a look at & Take the Subsequent Step: Irrespective of the way you take a look at, irrespective of your take a look at outcomes, take the following step.

Yearly, on June 27, we observe Nationwide HIV Testing Day, which provides us the chance to emphasise and encourage the significance of HIV testing as an empowering first step in selecting choices to remain wholesome whatever the take a look at outcome. This yr, the theme is “Take the Take a look at & Take the Subsequent Step.” This theme emphasizes that HIV testing is step one in selecting choices to remain wholesome whatever the take a look at outcome. Those who take a look at constructive for HIV might be linked to lifesaving HIV therapy. Those who take a look at unfavourable for HIV can obtain empowering details about safer intercourse, substance use, and healthcare.

Folks with psychological sickness and/or substance use dysfunction are at elevated threat of getting and transmitting HIV. Lots of the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration’s (SAMHSA) grant recipients are step one into the healthcare system for people who find themselves weak to or dwelling with HIV. Per the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) pointers, everybody between the ages of 13 and 64 ought to get examined for HIV no less than as soon as as a part of routine well being care. Some folks ought to get examined extra usually, together with individuals who have shared needles, syringes, or different drug injection tools similar to cookers, and individuals who have exchanged intercourse for medicine or cash.

SAMHSA has lengthy inspired substance use dysfunction and psychological well being therapy suppliers to combine HIV testing into routine care:

In truth, it’s a requirement for a few of our grants. We encourage SAMHSA grant recipients to observe CDC’s HIV testing pointers for scientific settings. SAMHSA can also be a proud participant within the Nationwide HIV/AIDS Technique and the Ending the HIV Epidemic within the U.S. Initiative which emphasizes diagnosing people as quickly as doable. This additionally ensures the supply of a number of HIV testing modalities to greatest meet the wants of populations with elevated threat of transmission as a consequence of a variety of social, financial, and demographic components (similar to stigma and discrimination).

People that take a look at unfavourable can also acquire entry to highly effective instruments like Pre-Publicity Prophylaxis (PrEP), or medication to forestall HIV. If you want to entry tailor-made details about your private HIV threat and prevention methods, you need to use the HIV Danger Discount Software. If you want to obtain an HIV take a look at in particular person, yow will discover a testing supplier, in addition to different HIV service suppliers, by the CDC’s Let’s Cease HIV Collectively marketing campaign web site. If you happen to would favor to manage your individual take a look at, HIV self-testing might be finished the place and whenever you select. Lastly, in case you, or somebody you realize, is in search of assist for substance use or psychological sickness, SAMHSA’s FindSupport.gov is a web based information that helps folks navigate by frequent questions when they’re at the beginning of their journey to deal with psychological well being, drug and alcohol points. This consists of easy methods to ask for assist, easy methods to assist others and easy methods to seek for a healthcare skilled or assist program that meets their wants. It options success tales that illustrate several types of behavioral well being experiences; lists of easy methods to speak to somebody about getting assist; steps on how to deal with psychological well being, drug or alcohol points; indicators of when to hunt assist and instruments to ask for assist; and data on easy methods to pay for therapy with or with out insurance coverage.

SAMHSA want to take this chance to thank our grant recipients and companion organizations for his or her contribution to ending the HIV epidemic in the USA. We encourage everybody in danger for HIV, particularly these with psychological well being and substance use circumstances, to make use of this present day as a chance to get examined as step one to lifelong well being.