By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

removing barriers

New HIV self-test kits available at Turning Point

Sep 12, 2021 | 12:00 PM

Starting this fall and through Jan. 2022, Red Deer-based Turning Point will offer free INSTI HIV self-test kits to those who want one.

They will do so through a pilot program called the Test Now Community Distribution Project, which aims to evaluate the efficacy and uptake of new HIV testing technologies. It is an initiative of Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC).

It also provides a low-barrier option for gay, bisexual, transgender, Two-Spirit and queer men, as well as non-binary people who often face them when searching for testing.

“Considering this population makes up more than 50 per cent of new HIV infections reported in Canada each year, access to these take-home test kits is going to be a game-changer for our clients and the community,” says Mitchell Danser, team lead of Turning Point’s new Central Alberta Men’s Outreach (CAMO) program.

Barriers include external and internalized stigma surrounding sexual health and identity, limited mobility and proximity to testing facilities, extended wait times for results, and a lack of both individual and societal education, Danser says.

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“These kits provide greater testing anonymity and substantially improve accessibility for those facing these and other barriers. I’m confident we’ll see an uptick in testing now that we’re able to distribute these take-home kits.”

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According to Danser, the INSTI test is similar to the ‘point of care’ test, in that it is a rapid, single-use device which detects HIV antibodies in minutes with just a drop of blood.

Once a test is completed, and regardless of the result, participants can contact Turning Point for information, support, and referrals for things like confirmatory HIV testing (if a result is reactive) or HIV PrEP.

Estimates suggest there are more than 8,000 Canadians living with HIV who aren’t aware of their status, equal to 13 per cent of people living with HIV. Self-testing gives Canadians a new option to manage their sexual health.

“Although HIV self-testing technology is not for everyone, it has the potential to reach those who experience barriers within a traditional healthcare setting where they may be subject to intrusive or discriminatory behaviour or practices,” says Chris Draenos, CBRC’s Test Now Research Manager.

“These are people who are going under the radar and we need to empower them to take their health into their own hands and encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and get linked to care and treatment.”

Those interested can drop by Turning Point or contact a CAMO outreach worker at camo@turningpoint-ca.org.