#BichoYYo: How long has it been since you had an HIV test?
If three out of four people living with HIV in Argentina know their status, it means one out of every four doesn't. Worldwide, 25% of people living with HIV are unaware of their status. Testing is crucial for early detection. In Argentina, testing is free, safe, and confidential.
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By Lucas Gutiérrez and Jon Amarillo
Knowing your HIV status helps you not only to begin treatment if you test positive, but also to stay informed about your overall health. Knowing whether or not you are living with HIV is crucial to prevent the virus from progressing if it is already present in your body.
So why is it so hard for us to get tested? Living with HIV today doesn't carry the same weight in terms of health as it did at the beginning of the epidemic, but if we think about how society views it, has much changed?
If three out of four people living with HIV in Argentina know their status, it means one out of every four doesn't. Worldwide, 25% of people living with HIV are unaware of their status. Testing is crucial for early detection. In Argentina, testing is free, safe, and confidential.
Are you afraid of a positive result? If the virus is already in your body, it's better to know. And if it turns out not to be the case, well, just keep taking the necessary precautions. However, not getting tested for fear of social rejection is not justified.
Living with HIV can have bitter moments in terms of people and their prejudices, apathy, and ignorance. But putting our health at risk just because there's a group of harmful people who choose to attack instead of evolving is pointless.
Where to get tested?:
Argentina: http://www.msal.gob.ar/sida/index.php/informacion-general/vih-sida-its-y-hepatitis-virales/donde-hacer-el-test
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Bicho and I #29: Bicho and I against the patriarchy: “It’s going to fall! Or better yet: we’re going to knock it down!”
Bicho and I #28: Laying the cards on the table
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Bicho and I #11: HIV and AIDS are not the same
BichoYYo#10: Bicho, me and medication: “People with HIV are much more than a pill”
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Bicho and I #5: “Nine years with Bicho”
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