London: Free home HIV testing launched for gay and bisexual men
GMFA and the NHS have launched a trial lasting until March 2013 that will allow gay and bisexual men in London to have an HIV test without leaving the home.
It’s estimated that there are around 10,000 gay men in the UK who have HIV but have not had their infection diagnosed. According to GMFA (formerly Gay Men Fighting AIDS) for some gay men, the hassle of taking time off work to go get tested is enough to prevent them from testing.
Ordered online, a kit arrives in a plain envelope and is simple to use, requiring only a mouth swab. Once the test has been taken, clients post the swab back in a prepaid envelope and within a couple of days a result will be given via SMS or a telephone call.
Matthew Hodson of GMFA said: “Regular testing will help men with HIV to live longer and healthier lives, and will also reduce the number of gay men who become infected. For all of these reasons we are particularly keen to remove any barriers that prevent men from testing and make it as easy for them as possible.”
For more information and to order a test click here.
