STEP 1
Why is it Important to get Tested?
- The United Kingdom (UK) has a relatively small HIV epidemic with an estimated 101,600 people living with HIV.
- The epidemic is largely concentrated among certain key populations, including men who have sex with men and black African populations.
- The UK has made significant progress in antiretroviral treatment coverage in recent decades: overall 87% of people living with HIV in the UK are virally suppressed.
- Late diagnosis remains a key challenge: in 2016, 43% of diagnoses happened at a late stage of infection.
- Awareness and knowledge around HIV continues to drop in the UK: only 45% of the population know HIV is and isn’t transmitted
STEP 2
Want to test from the comfort of your own home?
PaSH offer a free & confidential postal test kit you can complete at home and return to the lab for results. The test screens for HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B & C to order visit www.sorthiv.org.uk . This service is for men who identify as gay, bisexual, men who have sex with men and Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority heterosexual men and women.
If you identify in another way please order a HIV testing kit available from https://freetesting.hiv/
There are many places to have a HIV test across Greater Manchester, including GUM clinics and in community settings.
STEP 3
Condoms are the number one way of protecting yourself from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, syphilis, viral hepatitis and chlamydia.
Many people use condoms alongside PrEP to further reduce the chance of acquiring HIV.
Condoms come in varying sizes, textures, and materials, so have some fun experimenting to find the right one for you!
If you are fingering or fisting, you can use gloves or condoms on your hands or fingers to protect against STIs that are passed on through contact, like syphilis.
Try turning a condom into a dental dam for extra protection against STIs during oral sex and rimming.
Latex condoms should always be used with water-based lube as other types can weaken the condoms structure. This is especially important when engaging in anal sex as the rectum doesn’t produce its own lubrication and the lack of lubrication can lead to tears and micro-abrasions which increase the risk of transmission.
