Get Tested. Know Your Status
Hope House provides free HIV testing for anyone who is 18 or older. Below are two options to get tested. Tests are confidential and administered by a social worker who can provide on-site counseling and referrals to medical providers and additional resources. For more information about testing or to request a testing event at your location contact Mary Bell at 901-412-1596.
1) Free In-Person Tests: Hope House provides free, on-site HIV tests by appointment only. Call or text Mary Bell, MA at 901-412-1596 for more information and to set up an appointment.
2) Free Take-Home Tests: Call or text Mary Bell, MA at 901-412-1596 to get more information about receiving a test that you can self-administer in the privacy of your home.
If you select an option for a take-home HIV test, Hope House will provide you with instructions to complete the test and the option to have a social worker on the phone to guide you through the tests and results.
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A Free HIV Test
It is important that you start medical care and begin HIV treatment as soon as you are diagnosed with HIV, even if you don’t feel sick.
Antiretrovirals (ARVs) are prescribed medications used to treat HIV. A person diagnosed with HIV on ongoing treatment and in medical care can live a normal, healthy lifespan. In addition to improving health, ARVs also prevent the spread of the virus.
ARVs are recommended for all people with HIV, regardless of how long they’ve had the virus or how healthy they are. To get the full health and preventive benefits of ARVs, it is important to stay connected to medical care and continue to take medications every day as prescribed.
If you don’t have HIV, the goal is to stay that way. There are more options than ever to prevent infection.
For people who do not have HIV who want added protection, PrEP is a prescription pill that keeps HIV from taking hold in the body. When taken every day, PrEP has been shown to be highly effective in protecting against infection.
Condoms are a non-medication means of protection that are readily available. When used consistently and correctly, condoms are highly effective in protecting against HIV, as well as many other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). There are also condoms specifically designed for women. Like male condoms, female condoms are a barrier method of protection. Female condoms are inserted into the vagina.
If your HIV test results are within a window period when you might have been exposed, it is possible that it is too early for the test to detect HIV. Your health care provider can advise on whether re-testing is necessary and how often you should be tested going forward.