This Sunday, Eleftheria Square in Nicosia will be the center of a vital health initiative, as residents are invited to discover their HIV status for free. From 11 am to 4 pm, the Medical School’s mobile clinic will provide free, anonymous, and rapid HIV and syphilis testing. This event is part of the annual European HIV Testing Week 2024 and is held in collaboration with Cy Checkpoint and the Testing and Prevention Centre of the AIDS Solidarity Movement Cyprus.
Participants will be able to take advantage of this crucial service, ensuring their confidentiality and providing results swiftly. The initiative aims to encourage individuals to know their HIV status, understand their risks, and access effective treatments if necessary. By doing so, it helps to break down the stigma associated with testing and treatment, ultimately saving lives.
EuroTEST, the organization behind the European HIV Testing Week, emphasizes the importance of community solidarity. Each year, this week provides an opportunity for countries across Europe to unite in raising awareness about the benefits of HIV and STI testing. Held bi-annually in May and November, the initiative seeks to increase public knowledge and promote widespread testing.
The UNIC Medical School’s mobile clinic has been a proud participant in this event for the past three years, offering their services at least twice a year. Their commitment to public health and preventive care continues to have a significant impact on the community.
Don’t miss this opportunity to take control of your health. Join us at Eleftheria Square this Saturday, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Together, we can build a healthier, more informed community.
Treatment
- It’s better to know your status as soon as possible because today people living with HIV can live well with a long-life expectancy when treatment starts early.
- HIV treatment advances mean that you can live healthily for a long time if you are diagnosed early. Data from the START (Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment) trial indicate that starting anti-HIV treatment soon after diagnosis of HIV infection protects people’s health, instead of waiting for the CD4 count to drop to 350.
U=U | Undetectable = Untransmittable
- A person living with HIV and is being effectively treated CANNOT transmit the virus.
- This scientific truth reduces the stigma around HIV, provides additional incentives to stay in treatment, and stops the transmission of the virus to one’s sexual partners.
- If we all knew this simple and yet hopeful message, it would finally end the stigma around HIV, while, at the same time, we could forever end the transmission of the virus.
Prevalence
- 1 out of 5 of the 2.3 million people living with HIV in Europe are currently unaware that are HIV positive; and over 50% of those who are positive are diagnosed late, delaying access to treatment.