NEWS RELEASE
HIV/AIDS RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
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National HIV Testing Day is observed yearly across Canada on June 27. In recognition of this day, HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health (ARCH) has developed a resource with information on how to access testing for sexually transmitted infections within Wellington, Dufferin, and Grey-Bruce counties.
ARCH Clinic, specializing in HIV care and prevention, is also offering testing on a case by case basis. Clinic staff will provide pre-test counselling to determine the need for testing. Those getting tested will then be given forms to get lab work done at a local lab. Clinic staff will be in contact to provide results and treatment if needed.
People can normally access sexual health testing and treatment from regional public health units. However, these services were put on hold in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. General practitioners, walk-in clinics, and private practices that can provide sexual health services have also been affected by COVID-19. If testing is urgent, individuals can access it from local emergency services.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, public health messaging has focused on staying home and practising social distancing. However, ARCH believes a harm reduction approach should be taken when it comes to sex and intimacy during COVID-19.
“While we agree with public health’s messaging and the need to practice COVID-19 precautions, we can’t pretend that people aren’t having sex. We are encouraging people to limit their number of partners and to find alternative way to express their sexuality while maintaining distance. However, sexual health is a part of an individual’s overall holistic health. Even if people don’t see sex as essential, sexual health testing and treatment are essential services” said Juan Medina, Capacity Builder at ARCH.
A National HIV Testing Day event has been held in Guelph for the last two years in partnership with the Canadian AIDS Society and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. Last year, over a thousand people were tested in 109 testing sites across Canada. The Canadian AIDS Society announced the first ever National HIV Testing Week to be held this year, but had to postpone the event due to COVID-19.
Events like these aim to reduce the stigma often associated with HIV and HIV testing. 1 in 5 Canadians living with HIV are unaware that they have HIV. The only way to know for certain if you’re HIV-positive is to get tested.
Addressing stigma and normalizing testing is crucial in getting people diagnosed and connected to treatment and care. People living with HIV can live long, healthy, and full lives due to current advancements in treatment. Those on effective treatment can lower the virus in their blood to undetectable levels, at which point they can no longer transmit HIV through sexual contact.
“The science supports U=U, or Undetectable equals Untransmittable. More people need to know about this game-changing truth when it comes to HIV prevention and treatment.” says Medina.
ARCH is encouraging people to get in contact with places where they hope to access testing to make sure they get updates on services and procedures during COVID-19.
The resource can be found on ARCH’s website at www.archguelph.ca and on their social media platforms (@archguelph on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
To contact ARCH clinic, please call 1 (877) 780-5298.
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