LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Southern Nevada Health District and its partners, the Southern Nevada HIV Awareness Consortium and the Therapeutic Integrated Medical Care (TIM) Clinic, will provide free at-home HIV test kits in observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD).
Free kits, part of the Health District’s Collect2Protect program, will be distributed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 5 at Nucleus Plaza, 916 W. Owens Ave., Ste D. For more information, call (702) 617-6313. Face masks are required and social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation efforts will be practiced.
NBHAAD is observed annually on Feb. 7 to increase awareness, encourage testing, and highlight the work being done to reduce HIV infection in African-American communities, which continue to be disproportionately impacted. It is an opportunity to show support for people with HIV and to help reduce the stigma of infection.
In addition, the Health District’s Linkage to Action (L2A) mobile unit will be onsite to provide testing, and staff members will be available to provide resources and information about HIV services, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), substance use disorder information, and other resources, referrals, and information.
Health District staff members will follow up with people who have received a Collect2Protect test kit within 24 to 48 hours after the event to determine if additional testing or referrals are needed.
Anyone who is interested in getting tested for HIV can visit the Collect2Protect page to order test kits. The at-home HIV kits are free and allow individuals to receive their results in their home. At-home test kits for gonorrhea and chlamydia are also available.
The Health District encourages everyone to get tested and to learn their HIV status. Early diagnosis is critical for people with HIV so that they can benefit from antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART reduces HIV levels in the bloodstream, reduces HIV-related illnesses, and lowers the risk of transmitting HIV to intimate partners. With ART, HIV-positive people can remain healthy for many years.
