My Health is Sexy
Getting tested for HIV, and confirming your status, has never been easier and the benefits never greater.
It was not that long ago that an HIV diagnosis was considered a death sentence. At the height of the epidemic, a person was dying of AIDS every day in British Columbia. Today, thanks to earlier diagnosis of HIV and incredible advances in treatment and care, HIV can be a chronic, manageable condition.
It all begins with an HIV test.
HIV testing is confidential free, easy, and available wherever you access health care.
A health outreach nurse is also available to provide
discreet and non-judgmental HIV
testing at 1-866-778-7736.
Advances in treatment mean that people who are HIV positive are living a much longer and near normal life. Early treatment also prevents the virus from attacking the body and it prevents it from spreading to others.
Use the Resource Map to find local places offering counselling, HIV testing, support for people living with HIV/AIDS, Aboriginal services, LGBTQ2 resources, mental health and substance use services, harm reduction, and social and community support.
Routine HIV testing in acute care; community testing in Interior Health community health clinics and private physician offices; education of Interior Health staff and physician partners; a public awareness campaign; and laboratory support
Fostering better care for newly diagnosed individuals and those living with HIV; collaborating with local doctors, nurse practitioners, and community agencies
Building doctor/nurse practitioner capacity to support HIV clinical care closer to home; developing a health outreach nursing team to enhance available care
“If more people know their HIV status and receive early treatment, the spread of the disease in our communities can be halted.”
Dr. Trevor Corneil, Medical Health Officer and physician lead for STOP HIV in Interior Health
“In the early days in BC, one person was dying every day from AIDS. With the introduction of the made in BC Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, or HAART, we have gone from almost 900 new infections per year, to less than 250 per year as of December 2012.”
Dr. Julio Montaner, Director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
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