To mark National HIV Testing Week, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is running a pilot ‘on demand’ testing service for gay and bisexual men in Eastbourne.
ON FRIDAY, November 28 from 5pm – 9pm, and Saturday, November 29 from 1pm – 5pm, gay and bisexual men within the postcodes of BN20 – BN23 will be able to contact the charity’s Eastbourne centre on (01323) 649927 to request a test.
A member of the Avenue House sexual health clinic will then travel to their home and carry out a rapid HIV test, accompanied by a Terrence Higgins Trust worker.
Testing is free and confidential, and involves a finger-prick blood test, with results available within 15 minutes. Those taking a test will be given information and support before and after the test, and anyone who tests positive will be referred quickly to a specialist clinic.
Should someone prefer not to test at home, testing can be arranged by appointment at any of the following venues during the same times:
• Terrence Higgins Trust, Dyke House, 110 South Street, Eastbourne, BN21 4LZ
• The Hart Pub, 89 Cavendish Pl, Eastbourne, BN21 3RR
• Avenue House Sexual Health Clinic, The Avenue, Eastbourne BN21 3XY
National HIV Testing Week was established by THT and HIV Prevention England in 2012, in a bid to reduce high levels of undiagnosed and late-diagnosed HIV among gay and bisexual men and Africans in England. In 2012, there were an estimated 6,587 people living with HIV in Kent, Sussex and Surrey, one in five of whom remain undiagnosed and therefore more likely to pass the virus on unwittingly. Gay and bisexual men remain the group most affected by HIV in the UK.
Daniel Murray, Centre Manager for Terrence Higgins Trust in East Sussex, said: “National HIV Testing Week gives us a great opportunity to draw attention to how quick and easy modern tests are. That’s why this year we’re thrilled to be taking our testing service out to local gay and bisexual men ‘on demand’. There are far more reasons to know your HIV status than there are not to, so if it’s been a while since your last test, please contact the team to make an appointment, or visit your nearest testing service.”
Gay and bisexual men and Africans in Suffolk can visit www.startswithme.org.uk to register their support for National HIV Testing Week, find their nearest testing service, or order a postal HIV test kit.
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