HIV results in one minute

HIM launches rapid testing clinic for gay men

A new sexual health centre wants to make HIV testing hassle-free for gay men in Vancouver.

The Health Initiative for Men (HIM) Sexual Health Centre offers rapid HIV testing, the results and, if necessary, post-test counselling all in the same visit.

The process is less invasive and a lot more convenient than standard testing, says the clinic’s coordinator Hans Bosgoed.

“It’s done with a little finger poke so you don’t need to draw blood. You have the results in one minute.”

Because testing is offered for free and doesn’t require an appointment, the clinic is also able to reach a larger demographic. “There’s only one other health centre offering rapid testing but it’s only for their own clients. So it [wasn’t] available for everyone and there’s a big demand for this type of rapid test,” Bosgoed says.

Getting tested for HIV is as crucial now as it was during the 1980s when the virus first gained recognition as a threat to human health. According to HIM’s website, gay men comprised 62 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in Vancouver in 2008. But 31 percent of gay men under the age of 30 have never been tested.

Bosgoed says many gay men are afraid to be tested, especially when they have to wait days or weeks for the results. Rapid testing helps to alleviate this fear.

“The positive effect of it is you know the results right away and you don’t need a blood sample drawn,” he says.

For more details check out the Health Initiative for Men (HIM) on Facebook or visit their website at www.checkhimout.ca.

Read More About:
Health, News, Vancouver, HIV/AIDS

Keep Reading

Raising the bar: How an Edmonton gym is making exercise accessible

Run by queer and trans professionals, Action Potential Fitness was created with LGBTQ2S+ clients in mind
The Ohio state legislature building with a blue star with stars and stripes behind it.

Ohio’s trans healthcare ban sets dangerous precedent ahead of 2024 election

ANALYSIS: Ohio has set a new precedent for using gubernatorial powers to indirectly outlaw transition—other states may follow
Danielle Smith wears a blue top, grey blazer and pearls. She stands behind a podium with an Alberta sign, in front of Canadian and Alberta flags.

Can the federal government stop Danielle Smith’s anti-trans policies?

OPINION: The answer, like the politics that surround the proposals themselves, is complex
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wears green and pearls; she holds a white binder. A blue wall with a window is behind her.

Canada’s right is ushering in a dangerous anti-science era

OPINION: Provincial and federal leaders like Pierre Poilievre and Danielle Smith are willing to spew misinformation, take away healthcare and ultimately put trans youth at risk—all to score political points