FREE testing for HIV will be carried out in Limerick city on Monday, June 17.
The announcement comes after the HSE’s Health Promotion Surveillance Centre revealed that there were 341 new diagnoses of the virus in Ireland during 2012, a 7 per cent increase in new diagnoses when compared to figures from 2011.
The Red Ribbon Project, based on Cecil Street are holding the tests to mark Irish AIDS Day. The ‘rapid test’ uses saliva or a pin prick of blood from the finger. The results are available within 20 minutes.
The Red Ribbon Project is working with the STI clinic at the Regional Hospital so that anyone with a reactive result can be immediately referred there for a confirmation test and medical care.
The HSE figures show that HIV diagnosis rates among gay and bisexual men have increased by 160 per cent between 2005 and 2012 and that they now represent just under half of all new HIV diagnoses. The figures also show that the age group most at risk of HIV is getting younger. The median age of MSM HIV diagnosis has fallen to 32 years old in 2012.
Manager of the Red Ribbon Project Ann Mason said: “There is a clear need for a National campaign aimed at educating this particular community about how they can effectively protect themselves from HIV infection. These days HIV is a treatable infection and the sooner someone living with HIV accesses treatment, the sooner the medication will reduce their viral load to undetectable,” she said.
Fore more information see www.redribbonproject.com.
via Free HIV testing as virus on increase (252) | Limerick Post Newswrite.
