One off café clinics offer fast and friendly HIV testing across the Midlands
This February HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust is launching a new series of café clinics at its centres in Wolverhampton, Telford and Coventry. The one-off sessions will offer rapid HIV testing services in a friendly and supportive café-style environment. The charity hopes that the initiative will encourage more local people to come forward for a test.
The café clinics will be a chance for people to come into their local Terrence Higgins Trust centre for tea, cake, coffee and a chat, with trained staff available throughout the sessions to offer rapid finger-prick HIV tests to those who attend. Anyone who takes a test will get their results within 20 minutes and a team of staff will provide support before and after the test, as well as free condoms, and information and advice on safer sex. Although anyone is welcome to attend, the charity is particularly urging gay and bisexual men to take advantage of the new service.
The schedule of clinics across the Midlands is as follows:
Telford
Saturday 23rd February, 2pm – 5pm
4 Park Street, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire, TF1 3AE
For more information, please call (01952) 221410 or email info.shropshire@tht.org.uk
Wolverhampton
Tuesday 26th February, 5pm – 8pm
242 – 244 Bond Street, Wolverhampton, WV2 4AS
For more information, please call (01902) 711818 or email info.wolverhampton@tht.org.uk
Coventry
Wednesday 27th February, 5pm – 8pm
10 Manor Road, Coventry, CV1 2LH
For further information, please call (02476) 22 9292 or email info.coventry@tht.org.uk
Figures released by the Health Protection Agency last year revealed that there were 10,864 people living with HIV in the Midlands in 2011. A quarter of these people were undiagnosed and therefore at risk of serious health problems. Undiagnosed HIV is a major driving factor in the onward spread of the virus, as people who don’t know they have the condition are more likely to pass it on unwittingly.
Jackie Redding, Terrence Higgins Trust’s Service Director for the Midlands, said: “With advances in HIV treatment, there are now far more reasons to know your HIV status than there are not to. But going for an HIV test can be a daunting experience. We understand that and we hope that our café clinics will give people a chance to take an HIV test in alternative environment where you can have a cup of tea and a slice of cake and our staff can answer your questions and support you through the process if you wish."
“If you haven’t had a test in a while, or you’re worried you may have put yourself at risk, please come along and take advantage of our fast and friendly service.”