Individuals within the U.S. can now get a free at-home HIV take a look at, because of a nationwide program that can distribute 1,000,000 assessments over the subsequent 5 years. This system, referred to as Collectively TakeMeHome, has partnered with the favored relationship app Grindr to assist unfold the phrase to populations most affected by the viral an infection.
The Grindr app now has a aspect menu button that reads “Free HIV Dwelling Check,” which is able to direct customers to the Together TakeMeHome website (opens in new tab). Grindr will gather no information within the course of, the app’s builders mentioned in a statement (opens in new tab).
Collectively TakeMeHome distributes assessments by mail to residents of all 50 states and Puerto Rico who’re not less than 17 years outdated. The assessments themselves are OraQuick gadgets, made by OraSure Applied sciences and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (opens in new tab) (FDA). These assessments contain the usage of mouth swabs and ship ends in 20 minutes, in keeping with Emory University (opens in new tab), one of many venture’s leaders. Individuals who enroll in this system can order as much as two take a look at kits each 90 days.
Medical research counsel the assessments are extremely correct, in keeping with the FDA — if HIV is current, the assessments are anticipated to precisely detect the virus 92% of the time, and if HIV will not be current, the assessments give a damaging end result 99.98% of the time.
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This system web site offers details about learn how to use the self-test kits, what to do based on the test result (opens in new tab), and learn how to entry different HIV prevention and sexual well being providers. Educated employees will probably be obtainable by way of this system web site to offer referrals to HIV prevention and care providers, together with methods to entry pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (opens in new tab) — extremely efficient medicine used to forestall HIV.
(This system’s PrEP navigation workforce could be reached on the telephone quantity 628-899-4662 or at help@collectively.takemehome.org.)
“By giving folks a straightforward choice to know their HIV standing, Collectively TakeMeHome may also help folks, notably these disproportionately affected by HIV, take this primary necessary step in stopping and treating HIV,” Dr. Travis Sanchez (opens in new tab), a professor at Emory College’s Rollins Faculty of Public Well being and this system’s govt director, mentioned within the assertion.
