A new HIV testing initiative is now being used throughout the Hunter New England region in a bid to improve the screening rate for the disease.
The new test known as "dried blood spot testing" could help many detect the disease early using a test kit in their own home.
Using the "dried blood spot testing" method, people can order a test kit online, prick their finger and send the blood to a clinic in Sydney - all without leaving the privacy of their own homes.
An early diagnosis really can save lives, and Hunter New England Health's Clinical Director of Sexual Health Nathan Ryder believes this at home test kit could be the key to more people being able to detect the disease early.
"The main benefit we see is the accessibility which really comes down to the importance of HIV testing. A lot of people didn't know to this day that you can diagnose early and if you start treatment early you can expect to live a long and healthy life than if you delay, and you put off having that test until you get sick."
The initiative will provide greater access to testing in a wider area for at-risk people, particularly those who are reluctant to test for HIV that people can do in the privacy of their own homes.
"Some people that are at risk of HIV might be unwilling to discuss that with their GP and so by being able to do a test in the privacy of your own home, it has made HIV testing more widely available. The other thing across our region is that there are some people that might find it tricky to get to a medical clinic and this way they will be able to do it at home without having to travel long distances," said Nathan Ryder.
For more information on the testing kits head to www.hivtest.health.nsw.gov.au
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| Image abc.net.au |
