National HIV Testing Week starts today! Running from Monday 10th to Sunday 16th of February — here’s how you can get involved!
Since 2021, HIV diagnoses in the UK have been increasing. This follows a long period after a peak in 2005 when cases steadily decreased, helped massively by the widespread adoption of PrEP and the eventual decision of the NHS to provide the preventative drug to high-risk patients for free.
Although the recent rise in cases isn’t dramatic enough to cause immediate alarm, it does underline the importance of regular HIV testing, especially among men who have sex with men. Not only will an early diagnosis prevent the further spread of HIV, but it also means HIV-positive people can get on medication quicker and minimise the damage to their health.
National HIV Testing Week is a great opportunity to know your HIV status. During this period, you can order a test for free from tht.org.uk — this will either be a test you can carry out at home by yourself with results appearing in fifteen minutes or a postal test, which requires you to send a sample to a lab and the result will be communicated back to you by text or email.
There’s also the option to take an HIV test in person at LGBTQ+ venues across London — here’s a list of when this is happening during HIV Testing Week.
Monday 10th
Sweatbox Sauna, 1-2 Ramillies St, W1F 7LN, 4pm-10pm
Tuesday 11th
Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell St, WC2H 9AG, 4pm-7pm
Rupert Street Bar, 50 Rupert Street, W1D 6DR, 4pm-7pm
Wednesday 12th
Admiral Duncan, 54 Old Compton St, W1D 4UD, 4pm-7pm
Halfway to Heaven, 7 Duncannon St, WC2N 4JF, 3pm-6pm
Thursday 13th
YMCA Tottenham Court Rd. 112 Great Russell St, WC1B 3NQ, 5pm-8pm
Sweatbox Sauna, 1-2 Ramillies St, W1F 7LN, 5.30pm-8.30pm
G-A-Y, 30 Old Compton St, W1D 4UR, 8.30pm-11.30pm
Friday 14th
Admiral Duncan, 54 Old Compton St, W1D 4UD, 2pm-5pm
Comptons, 51-53 Old Compton St, W1D 6HN, 2pm-5pm
Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High St, E8 2PB, 4pm-7pm
The Village, 81 Wardour St, W1D 6QD, 4.30pm-7.30pm
Clonezone, 35 Old Compton St, W1D 5JX, 5pm-8pm
ZODIAC Bar, 119 Hampstead Rd, NW1 3EE, 6pm-9m
Saturday 15th
Positive East, 159 Mile End Rd, E1 4AQ, 11am-2pm
Sunday 16th
SBN (at UNION), 66 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP, 3pm-6pm
OR ORDER YOUR FREE HIV TEST HERE!
