‘Time to Know’ your HIV Status
‘Time to Know’ your HIV Status
There’s no limit to the bits of knowledge that you can pick up from a visit to your local library.
Thanks to Sexual Health Haringey (www.shharingey.co.uk) and their partnership with Marcus Garvey and Coombes Croft libraries you can now find out your HIV status by doing a rapid finger-prick test at these local Haringey libraries.
The test is quick and easy and you can know your result in less than one minute! The service is appropriately named, “Time to Know”….
Since October 2010, nearly 400 people have been tested and between July and October this year, over 150 persons were tested at Marcus Garvey Library alone. Of these, 43% never had an HIV test before. 10% said they thought they might have been at risk of contracting HIV due to their high risk sexual behaviour. As one client puts it, “I won’t lie, having a negative test has made me think twice about some of the things I do”.
Over 60% of the clients seen were from African and Caribbean backgrounds; these communities represent those that are disproportionately affected by HIV. In the UK, HIV affects 1 in 20 persons of African descent. “It made me think…so many black Africans have HIV, why was so much of the information I heard new to me?” reflects one service user.
One third of the people living with HIV in the UK are not aware of their status. Not being aware of having HIV and not accessing treatment will, over time cause deterioration in the immune system and health complications, which can lead to premature death. If someone tests positive for HIV, support is available immediately. Testing negative for HIV can alleviate a nagging doubt of not knowing. It’s time to know.
The testing service is available at Marcus Garvey Library (Tottenham Green Leisure Centre) on Tuesdays and Coombes Croft Library, (Tottenham High Road) on Wednesdays, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm.
For more information about contraception and sexual health services in Haringey, visit www.shharingey.co.uk or call 020 8442 6536.
There’s no limit to the bits of knowledge that you can pick up from a visit to your local library.
Thanks to Sexual Health Haringey (www.shharingey.co.uk) and their partnership with Marcus Garvey and Coombes Croft libraries you can now find out your HIV status by doing a rapid finger-prick test at these local Haringey libraries.
The test is quick and easy and you can know your result in less than one minute! The service is appropriately named, “Time to Know”….
Since October 2010, nearly 400 people have been tested and between July and October this year, over 150 persons were tested at Marcus Garvey Library alone. Of these, 43% never had an HIV test before. 10% said they thought they might have been at risk of contracting HIV due to their high risk sexual behaviour. As one client puts it, “I won’t lie, having a negative test has made me think twice about some of the things I do”.
Over 60% of the clients seen were from African and Caribbean backgrounds; these communities represent those that are disproportionately affected by HIV. In the UK, HIV affects 1 in 20 persons of African descent. “It made me think…so many black Africans have HIV, why was so much of the information I heard new to me?” reflects one service user.
One third of the people living with HIV in the UK are not aware of their status. Not being aware of having HIV and not accessing treatment will, over time cause deterioration in the immune system and health complications, which can lead to premature death. If someone tests positive for HIV, support is available immediately. Testing negative for HIV can alleviate a nagging doubt of not knowing. It’s time to know.
The testing service is available at Marcus Garvey Library (Tottenham Green Leisure Centre) on Tuesdays and Coombes Croft Library, (Tottenham High Road) on Wednesdays, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm.
For more information about contraception and sexual health services in Haringey, visit www.shharingey.co.uk or call 020 8442 6536.
Last updated01 Dec 2011