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Rapid, free, and anonymous HIV testing for men who have sex with men, transgender people, and their partners.
Taking the HIV test is always a good idea today., because the later you find out you have HIV, the worse it is for the immune system, while an early diagnosis allows you to:
- manage the infection effectively and durably over time with therapy,
- reduce negative health effects in the long term,
- practically reduce its infectivity to zero towards others.
Objective of the ProTEST program it is first of all the’emergence of the hidden mass of undiagnosed HIV infections and only secondarily is the promotion of testing in general: for this reason, given the greater vulnerability of gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men in general, trans people and their partners compared to the rest of the population, the free program is dedicated in particular to this segment of the LGBTI community.
Where to get a rapid HIV test community-based program of Arcigay's ProTEST
At the moment, the cities where the ProTEST program is (or is becoming) operational are: Turin, Milan, Verona (and Desenzano), Modena, Perugia, Catania, Palermo, Padua, Rome, Naples. SEE MAP BELOW
Where to get the standard HIV test in public clinical centers
To find the nearest clinical center where you can take a free HIV test, click on the website UNITED AGAINST AIDS of the Ministry.
The ProTEST program, offering free HIV testing, was made possible in 2015 and 2016 thanks to 8 per thousand contributions from the Waldensian Evangelical Church – Union of Waldensian Methodist Churches and an unconditional donation from ViiV-Healthcare.[:en]
ProTEST: A community-based program offering free rapid HIV testing in non-clinical settings to men who have sex with men, trans people, and their partners.
Since 2015, Arcigay has been working to directly offer, through its local committees and with its own funds, rapid HIV testing in as many cities as possible, in a community-based manner, that is, managed by the association's volunteers, both healthcare and non-healthcare professionals, directly in its offices or in gay meeting places (saunas, discos, cruising, etc.).
Between 2015 and 2016, Arcigay offered over 2,000 rapid tests, and more than 30 diagnoses have been made, especially in the 10 cities involved in the program, and it plans to make at least another 4000 by the end of 2017.
Taking the HIV test is always a good idea today., because the later you discover you have HIV, the worse it is for the immune system, while an early diagnosis allows you to manage the infection effectively and long-term with therapy, reducing the negative effects on your long-term health, as well as reducing your infectivity towards others to practically zero.
The program's primary goal is to identify the hidden number of undiagnosed HIV infections and, secondly, to promote testing in general. Therefore, given the greater vulnerability of gay and bisexual men, men who have sex with men in general, and trans people and their partners compared to the rest of the population, the free program is specifically aimed at this segment of the LGBTI community.
Arcigay is also working to ensure that this offer becomes structurally complementary, with agreements and conventions with the local health authorities, to the standard one of local health services in the cities where the program is implemented, and the community-based approach is permanently included in the regulatory and health policy provisions by the Ministry of Health.
Where to get a rapid HIV test community-based ProTEST program
At the moment, the cities where the ProTEST program is (or is becoming) operational are: Turin, Milan, Verona (and Desenzano), Modena, Perugia, Catania, Palermo, Padua, Rome, Naples. SEE MAP BELOW
Where to get the standard HIV test in public clinical centers
To find the nearest clinical center where you can take a free HIV test, click on the website UNITED AGAINST AIDS of the Ministry.
The ProTEST program, offering free HIV testing, was made possible in 2015 and 2016 thanks to the 8 per thousand contributions from the Waldensian Evangelical Church – Union of Waldensian Methodist Churches and an unconditional donation from ViiV.[:]
