LGBT Foundation to offer free HIV testing clinics for National HIV Testing Week

To mark National HIV Testing Week, European Testing Week and World AIDS Day, the LGBT Foundation will be running HIV testing clinics for all LGBT people across Greater Manchester until 4 December.

The bookable appointment consists of a simple finger prick test, with a local clinic being held at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum on Toad Lane on Saturday 30 November.

A series of workshops and information stalls will also be delivered across Greater Manchester by the LGBT Foundation.

Self-sampling tests can also be ordered from freetesting.hiv if you can’t make a clinic.

Public Health England estimates that over 103,800 people in the UK are living with HIV, and that, outside of London, 2,400 gay, bi and other men who have sex with men, are living with undiagnosed HIV.

According to the Terrence Higgins Trust, just 33% of gay and bisexual men are diagnosed late, whilst 60% of heterosexual men diagnosed receive a late diagnosis.

Additionally, a new study by Better2Know, the sexual health experts behind the STI testing for E4’s The Sex Clinic, shows that 70 per cent of people who test positive for HIV in Rochdale are only getting tested for the virus once symptoms appear, the highest in the country.

A late HIV diagnosis is when a patient has tested positive after the virus has already started to damage the immune system as measured by an immune cell count (CD4) below 350).

The LGBT Foundation also provides comprehensive sexual health and wellbeing support regardless of the test results, to support people to take control of their sexual health. This can include information about PrEP, PEP, condoms, contraceptives and having healthy and fulfilling sex lives.

PrEP – Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis – is taken by a person who doesn’t have HIV, to reduce risk of infection, whilst PEP – Post-Exposure Prophylaxis – is a strong combination of HIV medicines which can help stop you getting HIV after potentially being exposed to it.

Peter Bampton, sexual health lead at the LGBT Foundation, said: “Greater Manchester has a high prevalence of HIV which means there’s an increased likelihood that there are more people living with HIV who aren’t aware of it. Gay and bi men, and trans women are more at risk of acquiring of HIV than other communities, so it’s important that we continue to talk about HIV to our community.

“We’re committed to ending all new cases of HIV in a generation and that means making testing regularly for HIV as easy and accessible as possible. Our service is open to all LGBT and non-binary people, and men who have sex with other men. We want everyone who accesses our sexual health programme to feel that they can talk openly about their sex lives and the sex they want to have.

“You deserve to have pleasurable sex and to have all the information and resources to find the right HIV and STI prevention options that work for you.

Lauren Duffy, sexual health coordinator for testing added: “We’re really proud to support our community to test for HIV. Whether it’s a routine test every three months or in your time, we’ll help you every step of the way.

“The tests that we use require a small finger-prick of blood with results developing in 60 seconds. We’ve also made testing more accessible with bookable appointments after work and at the weekend.

“Knowing your status means you’re taking control of your sexual health.”

Michael Asher, founder of Better2Know, the UK’s largest private provider of sexual health testing services said: “Currently about one in every 13 people with HIV do not know they have the virus. Whilst this represents a significant improvement in rates of HIV diagnosis, our data and figures from Public Health England show a significant spread in the speed of diagnosis post infection.

“Depending on where you live, the late HIV diagnosis rate varies between 19 and 70 per cent. As early diagnosis dramatically improves both morbidity rates and treatment outcomes, HIV diagnostic services must focus on getting people tested as early as possible after possible infection.”

Dating back to 1975, the LGBT Foundation is a national charity delivering advice, support and information services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities.

The Rochdale testing clinic will be held between 11am-3pm on Saturday 30 November at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, 31 Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL12 0NU.

Book your test at:

• lgbt.foundation/testing