HIV Testing

Although there is no cure for HIV, regular treatment can reduce the virus to a very low level, which keeps you healthy and ensures that you don’t pass the illness to others. With treatment, HIV-positive individuals live long and healthy lives—a positive test result is not the end. Alliance for Living provides services for HIV-positive clients that include medical treatment, individual case management, medical nutrition therapy, and access to our food pantry. We’ll make sure that you have the resources you need to understand and manage your HIV status.

You can contract HIV when the bodily fluids of a HIV-positive person enters your bloodstream, usually either through sex or needle sharing. You cannot contract HIV from skin-to-skin contact or from saliva. While it’s difficult to completely eliminate your risk of HIV, you can effectively protect yourself and others with the following methods. Get tested. The CDC recommends that everyone get tested for HIV at least once between the ages of 13 to 64, but high-risk individuals should ideally be tested at least once per year. Men who have sex with men may benefit from testing once every 3 to 6 months. Practice safe sex. Always wear a condom during vaginal and anal sex. You should also get tested for other STDs, since having other STDs makes it more likely that you’ll contract HIV. Alliance for Living offers free condoms, dental dams, and other tools for safe sex. Don’t share needles. Sharing needles, syringes, and other injection equipment is one of the most common ways that individuals contract HIV. Alliance for Living’s Syringe Services Program (SSP) provides sterile syringes and injection supplies, completely confidential and free of charge. Ask about PrEP or PEP. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication taken once per day that can reduce your risk of contracting HIV. You take PrEP before coming into contact with HIV. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a series of pills taken after exposure to HIV, which reduces your risk of contracting the virus.

At Alliance for Living, we offer on-site testing using a fourth-generation Antigen and Antibody Combination Test, which involves testing a blood sample for both HIV antigens and antibodies. Because this test checks for both signs of HIV, it’s highly accurate and can detect HIV as early as fifteen days after your first exposure. Results will be available within 20 minutes.

Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once, but some people might be at an increased risk. If you fall into one of these groups, consider getting tested at least once per year. Have you had anal or vaginal sex with a HIV-positive partner? Are you a man who has sex with other men? Have you had multiple sexual partners since your last HIV test? Have you or your partner shared needles, syringes, or any other drug injection equipment with anyone since your last HIV test? Have you or your partner been diagnosed with another sexually transmitted infection, or have you been diagnosed with hepatitis or tuberculosis?

HIV testing at Alliance for Living is completely free and open to the public. Walk in and be tested on-site, or schedule a time to be tested later on.

www.hiv.gov https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/hiv-aids https://hivinfo.nih.gov/ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids