hiv

Showing 71 posts tagged hiv

Can I get tested for HIV at home?

image

Your sexual and reproductive health care can’t wait — even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Planned Parenthood health centers across the country are still open and providing health care, including testing for STDs, like HIV. And many health centers are offering virtual appointments. 

You’re doing your part by staying inside and only going out for essential things like groceries and medicine, but you can still make HIV testing a priority. The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. Luckily, HIV testing at home is quick, easy, and painless. 

You can test yourself for HIV using an at-home HIV testing kit: With the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, you swab your gums and test the sample yourself. You get your results in 20 minutes. With the Home Access HIV-1 Test, you prick your finger to get a small amount of blood. You then mail your blood sample to a lab and get your results in about a week. At-home tests are totally anonymous — you’re the only person who will know the results. And both types of tests help connect you with counselors who can give you support and advice about treatment if you test positive.

These are uncertain times for everyone — we’re here with you. Picking up an HIV test the next time you’re at the grocery store or pharmacy is a small thing you can do to stay on top of your health.

-Chelsea at Planned Parenthood

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day — a Call for Equitable HIV Prevention

image

February 7th is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day — an observance created in 1999 to raise awareness about HIV prevention, education, testing, and treatment for Black communities. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black Americans make up 13% of the US population, but 42% of new HIV diagnoses. It’s clear that there’s a real disparity in health care access and HIV prevention methods for Black communities. Fortunately, providers, educators, advocates, and organizations like Planned Parenthood have identified the tools to address this public health crisis.

HIV PREVENTION & EDUCATION

Education is key to prevention. Black gay and bisexual men and Black men who have sexual contact with other men account for the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses.The CDC estimated 44% of Black transgender women live with HIV, and 26% of Black people who received an HIV diagnosis in 2017 were cisgender women. Structural racism and implicit biases in the medical field impact Black people’s access to quality health care and creates barriers around getting information and support. These inequities often result in delayed diagnoses and higher rates of HIV, while stigma and miseducation can leave Black communities without preventative tools and lifesaving treatments. All of these barriers ultimately restrict Black people living with HIV from getting the care and support they deserve. 

HOW TO GET TESTED

1 in 7 Black Americans are living with HIV and are unaware of it. Most people who have HIV don’t show any symptoms right away. That’s why regular testing is important — it can lead to early diagnosis and treatment. Planned Parenthood health centers offer compassionate care, including HIV testing and counseling.  The staff at Planned Parenthood are nonjudgmental and can answer your sexual health (even the ones you may be afraid to ask). Learn more about making an appointment.

If you’re not able to reach a health center, you can test yourself for HIV using an at-home HIV testing kit. With the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, you swab your gums and test the sample yourself. You get results in 20 minutes. With the Home Access HIV-1 Test, you prick your finger to get a small amount of blood. You mail your blood sample to a lab, and get your results in about a week. 

At-home tests are totally anonymous — you’re the only person who will know the results. And both types of tests help connect you with counselors who can give you support and advice about treatment if you test positive. Knowing your HIV status is essential to staying healthy and taking control of your sex life. 

TREATMENT

All STDs, including HIV, are treatable. However, you can’t get treatment if you don’t know your status. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, make an appointment with your nurse or doctor or at a Planned Parenthood health center to find out if post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is right for you. PEP is a series of pills that you start using within 72 hours of being exposed to HIV. There is also pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — PrEP is a daily pill that can help prevent HIV. Taking PrEP every day can lower your chances of getting HIV from sex by more than 90%. Both PrEP and PEP can help people  live healthy and safe sexual lives. 

WHAT HIV PREVENTION WORK IS PLANNED PARENTHOOD DOING FOR BLACK COMMUNITIES?

Some Planned Parenthood health centers provide PrEP and PEP, and all health centers can connect people living with HIV to treatment options so they can get the care they need. 

In 2017, we launched our HIV Prevention Initiative in partnership with the Black AIDS Institute (BAI), a national organization working to stop the HIV epidemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals. This initiative allowed us to expand our comprehensive HIV prevention and education efforts for communities that face the most barriers to accessing equitable health care, education, and treatment. 

To find a health center near you and learn more about HIV prevention, go to plannedparenthood.org.

-Jocelyn and Leanna at Planned Parenthood 

The Importance of HIV Testing: “The threat is not in having the disease — it’s in not knowing you have the disease.”

image

“In 2016, I was a 22-year-old with no health insurance and the only place that would take me without extremely high fees for medical care was Planned Parenthood. I was not there for HIV testing, but they offered it to me anyway, for free. I never expected when they called me back a week later that anything was wrong, but my results came back positive for HIV. 

Naturally I was shocked. I was diagnosed in a different state than the state I was living in at the time, so it took a few weeks before I could get into treatment. I didn’t tell anyone about my diagnosis because I was worried about what they might think of me. At the same time, I was living in constant fear of what my life with HIV would look like. When I finally got back home to Florida and met with my doctor for the first time to go over my numbers he said “Your viral load isn’t great but it’s not bad. It’s good that you found out when you did because we can fix this.” And almost immediately, the weight of all my fears had lifted. 

I have a normal life. I am a graduate student. I have a beautiful man who loves me. I can still have children. I can travel. I can do any and everything I had planned for myself before I was diagnosed with HIV. People often think that HIV is life-threatening. But the threat is not in having the disease — it’s in not knowing you have the disease. Thanks to Planned Parenthood, I know, and that is how Planned Parenthood saved my life."  

— Jordyn, Las Vegas, NV

Getting tested is the only way to know for sure if you have HIV, and it’s one of the best ways to keep yourself and your partners healthy. HIV tests are usually quick and painless — most of the time, all you have to do is rub your cheek with a cotton swab. 

image

The best part about HIV testing? Getting tested and knowing your status can really put your mind at ease, no matter the results. If you do find out you have HIV, you’ll be able to get the information you need to start treatment. There’s no cure for HIV, but there are medicines you can take to help you stay healthy and lower (or even stop) your chance of passing HIV to others. 

Having HIV does not make you “dirty” or a bad person, and it doesn’t mean your life is over. People living with HIV can be in relationships, have sex, and live full, healthy, happy lives with the right treatment and the support of friends and family. 

image

Lots of places offer free or low-cost HIV testing, like your local Planned Parenthood health center. 

Make an appointment to get tested today.

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. You can’t tell if you have HIV just by the way you feel because most people who get HIV don’t have any symptoms for years. Luckily, HIV testing is pretty easy and quick. The best part...High-res

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. You can’t tell if you have HIV just by the way you feel because most people who get HIV don’t have any symptoms for years. Luckily, HIV testing is pretty easy and quick. 

The best part about getting tested for HIV? Once you get it over with, it can really put your mind at ease. And if you do have HIV, it’s best to find out early so that you can take medicines to help you stay healthy and lower your chances of spreading HIV to others. 

Make an appointment to get tested>>