Self-testing HIV kits now more readily available in northeastern Ontario

It's now easier for people in northeastern Ontario to test for HIV at home.

In August the Public Health Agency of Canada set aside $8 million for the distribution of HIV self-testing kits, and organizations in northern Ontario have started to benefit.

Last week, Réseau ACCESS Network in Sudbury received 250 at-home testing kits to distribute to its clients. The agency is a non-profit organization focused on harm reduction around HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.  

"It's always good to know your status if you haven't tested on a regular basis," said Heidi Eisenhauer, Réseau ACCESS Network's executive director.

There are nearly 63,000 people currently living with HIV in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, and one in 10 remain undiagnosed. 

People feel a lot less judged if they can do it at home.- Kendall White, AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area

Kendall White, the community prevention and education worker with the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area, said she has a small number of self-testing kits she can distribute and is expecting a new batch in January.

While people can get tested for HIV by visiting their doctor or nurse practitioner, White said there are advantages to the self-testing kits.

"I think a big part is just the stigma," she said.

"People feel a lot less judged if they can do it at home. The thing that people don't consider, though, when doing at home is as soon as you get a positive, you don't have someone around you to be supportive. So if you feel like it may be positive and you want that support, you could always come to somewhere like the AIDS Committee and work with one of our workers and we would be there to directly help you."

Depending on the kit, White said it takes anywhere from one to 20 minutes to get a result.

So far, she said most people who have requested kits from the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area have been sex workers and substance users, who are at a higher risk of contracting HIV. 

Effective treatments available

Chris Draenos, the implementation manager with the Community-Based Research Centre, one of the organizations charged with distributing HIV testing kits across Canada, said it's important for people to be aware of their HIV status.

"The sooner that you find out your HIV status, if you do happen to be HIV positive, the sooner you can start on medication," he said.

"So we have very effective medications that are available for people living with HIV and people live long, normal, happy, healthy lives."

Draenos said antiviral treatments today can reduce a person's viral load to the point where it is undetectable.

"That means you're unable to pass HIV sexually on to any of your partners," he said.