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It's important to know your HIV status
so you can choose options to keep yourself and your partners healthy.
Now, it's easier than ever to get tested from wherever you are.
I know that a whole lot is going on in the world,
but knowing your status means that you have power:
you have power to take care of yourself,
you can make better decisions about your health.
We'll be using a rapid self test,
but there are some other types of self-tests, too.
You can buy a rapid self-test at your pharmacy or online.
Some health departments and community-based organizations
also provide rapid self-tests free or at a reduced cost.
When using the rapid self-test, choose a time when you haven't
drank, eaten, or used oral care
products for at least 30 minutes,
and can wait at least
20 minutes for the results.
Ready to get started!
We're going to start by opening our box.
And it comes in this case.
And inside of this box, there is a lot of things.
There is an instruction manual in English and Spanish.
There is a drawer here at the bottom.
And in this little pocket, you're gonna pull out
the HIV self-test stick and the HIV test tube.
Step 1 is removing the test tube and placing it in its designated holder.
The second step is to take out the test stick.
Make sure you don't touch the end with your fingers.
So, we're pulling it out.
This is what the test stick looks like.
And now, just run the test stick on your upper gum.
And now, swipe it once across your lower gum.
And, that's it!
Step 4 is placing the test stick in this tube, pad-down first.
You're gonna want to check your results
between 20 and 40 minutes after you put the stick in the test tube.
I'm gonna hang out here, turn on some music,
I'm gonna wait on my test, and see what my result is.
So, it has been 20 minutes since I took my test,
and now it's time to check my results.
There are two letters in the test stick.
There's a "C" and there's a "T."
If you have one line by the "C,"
that means that your test is negative.
If there's a line next to the "C"
and any line next to the "T," even if it's very faint,
your test result is positive, and you may have HIV.
And if you see no lines, or your test results don't look like
any of the pictures included in your booklet, something may have gone wrong
with your test and you need to start over with a new kit.
But it's not as simple as positive or negative.
It can take up to 3 months for HIV antibodies to show up in your body
at levels that the test can recognize.
So if you think that you might have been exposed
within the past 3 months, it's really important
to make sure to repeat the test.
And if your result came back positive,
you'll need to follow up with a healthcare provider,
because if you have HIV,
getting into care and starting treatment
as soon as possible is very important.
Taking HIV medicine as prescribed can help you suppress the viral load in your blood,
getting it to levels so low that by test standards it is considered undetectable.
And that is the best thing that you can do for your health and for the health of your partners.
The HIV rapid self-test is a great, very simple, easy way to find out
your HIV status from wherever you are.
If your test result is negative, explore preventive options like condoms and PrEP.
And if your test result is positive,
getting into care helps protect you and your partners.
Get tested.
Together, we can end the HIV epidemic.