Noticias

Rapid HIV tests are named so as the estimated time from the extraction, which involves a small finger prick, such as diabetes test, to delivery of the result is less than 15 minutes. These tests can be performed in public health centers, so voluntarily at the Kuimba'e Clinic, free and confidential, with appropriate counseling conducted by the best professionals.

Currently, the global guidelines of the WHO and UNAIDS point to start treatment immediately if a person discovers that living with HIV. If treatment is started as soon as possible, the immune system stays healthy. Another benefit to know early that one living with HIV is taking anti-HIV medication, anti-retro-viral or ARVs, the number of copies of the virus in the blood becomes "undetectable" and people living in HIV cannot transmit the virus to anyone else. This has been widely tested in several studies involving discordant couples (one couple in which one lives with HIV and the other does not) in all cases where the person living with HIV was undetectable, their partners were not infected. In Paraguay, the anti-HIV treatment is no cost to people and the State provides to all people in need.

"This campaign promotes rapid test as it is the only sure way to know our HIV status. Since it is a preventable and treatable infection, early diagnosis of HIV is important because it allows access to timely treatment and health services focusing on prevention and comprehensive care to improve the quality of life of all people living and living with HIV” mentioned Simon Cazal, Executive Director of SOMOSGAY.

With this initiative, SOMOSGAY reaffirms its unwavering commitment to equality, universal access to health care and free public services treatment with an approach based on human rights to ensure the inherent dignity and the full enjoyment of the right to health everyone.