An innovative new project has been quietly and effectively expanding HIV testing in regional and remote areas with a service offering free, discreet, and fast HIV self-testing nationwide.
The project, HIVTest.au is the first of its kind – allowing anyone in Australia to have a kit delivered directly to the name and address of their choosing. When it arrives, it looks just like any other Australia Post parcel but inside is a simple and easy to use HIV self-testing tool which can tell you your HIV status in just 15 minutes. This is a unique addition to the HIV testing landscape in Australia, especially for regional and remote communities who may experience barriers to traditional testing services.
Begun in October 2023, in the project’s first year it has distributed over 14000 HIV self-testing test kits all across Australia. Over 40% of these orders were from outer metro areas and over 20% were from regional or remote parts of the country. That’s over 3000 HIV tests done in country Australia!
Outside of major cities people face significant challenges when it comes to accessing sexual health services. In smaller and more connected communities, people can feel too embarrassed or unable to talk about sexual health with their local health care providers. Physical distance can mean that services are too far away to access, or that sexual health check-ups are perpetually postponed as the busyness of life kicks the can down the road.
We also know that HIV continues to be the source of anxiety and fear for many. This reputation dates to the days before effective treatments were available. The stigma of HIV has outlived the reality of successful treatment and care that now exists. So, alongside the self-testing kits, HIVtest.au ensures that people are made aware of the reality of living with HIV in 2024.
Communities need to know:
- We now have HIV treatments that are highly effective and easy to take.
- A person diagnosed with HIV in a timely manner who accesses treatment will go on to have a normal life expectancy.
- Effective treatment also means that HIV cannot be passed on to others during sexual encounters.
- People with HIV can now have a fulfilling sex life, have children and do everything else their HIV negative counterparts can do.
A fear of HIV diagnosis can hold back the very people who need to test the most. HIVtest.au offers an accessible service for those concerned about their HIV status, whilst providing them the information they need about HIV and about how to prevent it. This is vital, because alongside changes in how we treat HIV, there have also been major changes in how people can prevent it. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) are essential knowledge for anyone who is sexually active, including how to access them.
HIVtest.au is a partnership project between the National Association of People with HIV (NAPWHA) and Queensland Positive People (QPP). NAPWHA and QPP worked closely with HIV positive people to understand the barriers that they faced when they were seeking HIV testing. This has informed the lowest possible barriers approach of the project. The service is free, it allows discretion, national and offers all the information needed to link people to any additional services they may require. This is why services such as HIVtest.au - that offer new ways of providing low-cost, low barriers healthcare screening - are such a vital part of our healthcare of the future. 
Thankfully after an initial pilot period, HIVtest.au has been provided an additional two-years of additional support by the Commonwealth Government. HIVtest.au is looking forward to expanding its service and helping Australians in regional and remote areas manage their sexual health for many years to come.
To try the service yourself simply go to HIVtest.au and enter your name, address, email address and age confirmation and you will have an HIV self-test kit in your letter box in about 48 hours.
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