HIV Self-Testing Initiative to Help People living with the virus

Every year on December 1st, we celebrate the tremendous progress the world has made in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and honor those affected by this disease with a renewed commitment to achieve an AIDS-free generation.

According to the World Health Organization, AIDS and the HIV virus that causes it are an epidemic that have claimed 35 million lives.

On HIV, data showed that people in their 20s saw the largest increase in new infections, making up 43.2 percent of all new cases. As President, you and your Administration will have the responsibility of determining how well we as a nation address this continued health threat.

On the occasion of World AIDS Day, various government and private associations organised awareness rallies, talks and programmes on Thursday. The fear of rejection makes them live with the virus silently. Making it quick and easy, the mouth swab test was available in the Student Union building from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. today. People can find out if they’re positive or negative in 20 minutes or less, and seek healthcare accordingly. “It’s a very quick process and very painless”.

Over the coming months, I intend to work with my provincial and territorial counterparts, affected communities and medical professionals to examine the criminal justice system’s response to non-disclosure of HIV status. But activists say these laws do nothing to help stop new HIV infections – in fact, they may actually do the opposite.

New HIV cases were concentrated in Grand Boulevard, Uptown, Greater Grand Crossing, Chatham and Edgewater.

The New Hanover County health department does testing all year. They asked to be called “people with AIDS”, and this marked the beginning of a movement by those with HIV to define themselves on their own terms.

She emphasized the need to disseminate correct information, such as safe sex, among the youth and the vulnerable segment of the population, and establish more testing centers nationwide.