Wales HIV Testing Week is an annual campaign that encourages people in Wales to get tested for HIV.

What is HIV?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease.

When your immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus, AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen due to the damage caused by HIV.

While AIDS cannot be transmitted from 1 person to another, the HIV virus can.

Why is testing for HIV so important?

Anyone can get HIV. The most common way of getting HIV in the UK is through having anal or vaginal sex without a condom.

Getting tested is the only way to find out if you have HIV. With treatment people can live a long and healthy life, and prevent passing the virus on to others. Without being tested you can’t receive treatment.

The sooner you start treatment, the less likely you are to become seriously ill. Getting diagnosed late can cause lasting damage to your health.

How to get tested for HIV   

At the INFO Shop we offer a couple of options for you to get tested for the HIV virus.

• Our Sexual health clinic offers HIV testing-

Available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 15:00pm-17:30pm. No need for an appointment as we’re a drop in clinic.

• Pick up a home testing kit

Stop by any time during our opening hours and speak to a youth worker to pick up a home testing kit.

Alternatively you can ring up your local sexual health clinic for a test or order a home testing kit online for free at Wales STI Testing Kit | Test and Post (shwales.online).

At the info shop you can get further information about HIV by asking one of our youth workers or picking up some of informative leaflets.

By encouraging people to test,

we can help stop HIV in its tracks