Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity are hosting pop-up confidential HIV testing clinics to encourage residents to get tested and know their status to protect their health.
Private booths will be set up with trained staff from charity offering free HIV tests as well as information on HIV, sexual health and free condoms. The team will at Stockton Central Library on Monday, February 5 from 9.30am to 3.30pm and the Live Well Centre in Middlesbrough from 9.30am to 3pm as well as Teesside University in the Student Life Building on Tuesday, February 6 between 10am and 4pm.
Hartlepool residents can get tested by Terrence Higgins Trust on Thursday, February 8 – the charity will be at St Aidan’s Church from 9.30am until 12pm and Community Hub Central in the town centre between 1pm and 4pm.
Those who live in Redcar & Cleveland can get tested in person at Redcar Palace on Friday, February 9 from 9.30am to 12.20pm.
Regular HIV testing benefits all of us. If you are HIV negative, you can still use protection such as PrEP or condoms to stay negative. If you are HIV positive, you can go on treatment and live a long and healthy life — people on effective HIV treatment Can’t Pass It On to partners.
Testing is free and confidential. It’s also the only way to know if you have HIV and worth doing because people can live with HIV for a long time without any symptoms. It’s easier than you think to get and take an HIV test, whether you use a sexual health clinic, a GP, or prefer the convenience of using an at home test kit.
The sooner you know your HIV status, the sooner you can get on treatment if needed to stay healthy and avoid passing the virus on to anyone else. Most people will get a negative result, but whatever happens, it’s important to know that anyone diagnosed with HIV in the UK can access free treatment and support.
Anthony Young, Service Manager at Terrence Higgins Trust Teesside, said: “We’re really excited to be testing across Teesside as part of National HIV Testing Week.
“Sometimes people are worried about getting a test, or don’t have time.
“By testing in local spaces like churches and universities, we hope to show how quick, easy and convenient HIV testing is.
“Getting tested regularly should be something we’re all doing in order to protect ourselves.
“Today, if you test positive, effective treatment means you can live as long as anyone else and it stops you passing on HIV to partners by reducing the amount of the virus in your blood to undetectable levels.
“This means that the levels of HIV become so low that the virus cannot be transmitted. Testing for HIV puts you in control and is nothing to be feared.”
“If your results come back positive, we can offer all the support, advice and information you need. Testing is nothing to be feared or embarrassed about. And with less than six years left to achieve the historic goal of ending new HIV cases in the UK by 2030, every test counts.”
National HIV Testing Week runs from Monday, February 5 to Sunday, February 11 and is co-ordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust on behalf of HIV Prevention England (HPE).
The week encourages people to test for HIV, particularly those from the groups most affected by HIV, including gay and bisexual men and Black African men and women.
For more information about National HIV Testing Week, go to: startswithme.org.uk
Since Saturday, April 1 2023, Terrence Higgins Trust has been directly commissioned by local authorities of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Redcar & Cleveland and Hartlepool.
The charity continues to provide HIV and sexual health information, advice and guidance. We support communities with their sexual health needs including a free and confidential testing service for HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis.
The service has continued to grow and develop as Terrence Higgins Trust has responded to the needs of communities and to date, has offered and delivered point-of-care testing to over 3,500 Teesside residents over last seven years.
• The Tees sexual health service can be contact via the website http://www.thesexualhealthhub.co.uk/services-near-you/teesside or call 0300 3301122. Phone line available Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5.00pm
