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LoveYourself, Catriona Gray introduce free at-home HIV screening ‘SelfCare’ kit
Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray and advocacy group LoveYourself on November 17 introduced a new service set to revolutionize HIV screening in the Philippines.
Catriona, a LoveYourself Volunteer-Ambassador, helped explain the at-home screening kit "SelfCare."
"There are people who don't go to [community centers] because they might be ashamed to go to centers, they might be afraid to be seen, or they just have an indescribable fear of talking about or getting tested for HIV," Catriona explained.
She added, "SelfCare is a very bold move and a pioneering initiative here in the Philippines ... If you can imagine, every single person could have access to either a community center or to a SelfCare kit in their own home."
The kit will be rolled out in 2019 and will be made available online via a sign-up sheet, to be posted on their website and social media accounts. LoveYourself is also looking to partner with online courier services to make the service even more accessible.
Most importantly, the kit and the delivery are free.
The SelfCare kit comes in its own box with complete instructions. LoveYourself founder and executive director Ronivin Pagtakhan said that they will also be providing an online hotline to provide help for people using the kit at home.
An official "test" for HIV includes counseling and for that there is no substitute.
However, the initial screening for a person to know their status is a huge leap in getting the proper care and services to people with HIV.
The screening takes a mere 15 to 20 minutes. It starts by setting up a comfortable space at home and following instructions on how to draw a very small amount of blood, which will react with the solution in the screening strip.
LoveYourself will be providing assistance to both reactive and non-reactive people.
LoveYourself is an organization mostly made up of volunteers who take multi-layered action on the HIV epidemic by promoting self-worth and the TSC concept, which means “timely testing and treatment, safe and satisfying sex, and correct and consistent use of condom” as ways to protect one’s self from doing risky behaviors.
Visit the LoveYourself website for more details. — GMA News
