Guelph will be one of several locations hosting a free HIV/AIDS testing event on Thursday.
Guelph's HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health (ARCH) will be hosting the event in the Guelph in the Community Health Centre in partnership with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health as part of National HIV Testing Day.
Testing will be available at the Woolwich Room from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Capacity builder at ARCH Juan Medina says the goal of the event is to reach groups that are disproportionately affected by the virus.
“It's important because nowadays we have so much technology and so many alternatives to HIV. We are so lucky we live in a day now where living with HIV is manageable,” said Medina.
“It’s crucial to test yourself because whether you have it or not, now we have access to medication, if you do have it, it's no longer a death sentence.”
According to the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research, approximately 65,000 people in Canada are presently living with HIV, 2,400 people are infected with the virus each year, six people are infected each day, and one person every four hours.
The foundation indicates that 14 per cent of people in Canada are unaware that they carry the infection of their “status” of the infection.
Medina said this increases the possibility of transmitting the virus to others.
The Public Health Agency of Canada’s 2017 HIV Surveillance Report indicates that there has been a 17.1% increase in the number of new HIV infections in Canada between 2014 and 2017.
HIV Testing Day was created in response to the increasing rates of HIV in Canada.
“Building on the success of last year, this event is truly about normalizing HIV testing, increasing Canadians’ capacity to make informed decisions regarding their own sexual health, and decreasing stigma’’ said executive director of Canadian Aids Society Gary Lacasse.
Medina said the theme “Know Your Status,” this year hopes to eliminate the stigma that gets in the way of people knowing the status of the infection.
“Now that we know through the science and the research that if you are HIV positive, you’re taking the medication and you have an undetectable viral load, you won't be transmitting the virus to any of your partners,” said Medina.
“That's revolutionary and I think a lot of people haven't heard of that enough or there is still a lot of fear and stigma that's getting in the way of people even knowing their status.”
Appointments for the event on Thursday are on a first come first serve basis where those looking to get tested do not have to share any of their personal information.
“When they come in, we don't even ask them for their name. They can give us any name or information that they like. They can just go see the nurse and get tested. We have this service every week,” said Medina.
“On Thursday since its National HIV Testing Day, we’re doing a bit more of a push in a different location.”
Medina said rapid HIV tests are as simple as a prick in the finger with the point-of-care testing (POCT) kits which take less than five minutes or less for the entire process. There is also a large emphasis on counselling after the test is administered.
“We talk about risk and the nurse gets an idea of sexual practices and provides information on different alternatives and things like that,” said Medina.
“All in all, it ends up being a 15 to 20 min appointment depending on the conversations that they are having.”
If one tests positive for HIV or another STBBI, ARCH will work toward forming a long term physical, mental and emotional relationship with them to ensure their wellbeing.
Information on testing site locations and times around the country are available here.
