National HIV Testing Week (NHTW) is November 22-28, 2021!
This year’s theme is “Testing is the key.” This is a week to promote and increase HIV testing and testing for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) more generally. The objectives of National HIV Testing Week are to encourage people to:
- get tested for HIV and other STBBIs
- become aware of their status
- get connected to prevention or treatment and care
- work to reduce the stigma associated with HIV
There’s currently no vaccine for HIV. According to 2018 national HIV estimates, 8,300 people in Canada were living with HIV and didn’t know it. No one is immune to HIV and the only way to know if you have it is to get tested. HIV testing is important for your health, and it gives you the information you need to help decide what HIV prevention methods you may want to use or connect to treatment and care a lot sooner. HIV treatment is effective and allows people to manage HIV and live full, healthy lives. People living with HIV who are on effective treatment and maintain an undetectable viral load do not pass HIV to their sex partner/s (see U=U, Undetectable = Untransmittable).
ACNL is excited to announce a list of events for NHTW 2021, and we have social media sharables coming soon for people to use during that week! Check back here or like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to share and stay up-to-date on the week of events. We hope you can join us, take part in NHTW 2021 in your own way, or use #TestingIsTheKey and our social media sharables once we release them for the world to see and have fun with!
National HIV Testing Week 2021 schedule-at-a-glance:
HIV Testing Week Social Media Sharables:
Anyone can access and share these social media graphics included in this public Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/122uo8019AflwmoMN1ixG34C9bvOeMTOT?usp=sharing
All National HIV Testing Week Event Details:
Free HIV Self-Testing Kits & Sexual Health Resources Event:
Link to Facebook event page with more information: https://fb.me/e/1V9Y5v4xT
HIV Testing Presentation & Community Discussion Event:
*Registration required
Link to Facebook event page with more information: https://fb.me/e/19ClU5Csq
‘Get A Kit’ Drive (Free HIV self-testing kits) Event:
Link to Facebook event page with more information: https://fb.me/e/5tdhDQZIC
*Register for the HIV Testing Presentation & Community Discussion here: https://bit.ly/3nMksFq
Thank you to CBRC (Community-Based Research Centre) with their Test Now: Community Edition pilot project and the Canadian AIDS Society for the generous amounts of HIV self-testing kits for National HIV Testing Week 2021. We couldn’t do this without your continued support!