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Getting a head start on HIV testing

5 Jun 2005

Livewired Communications has issued a challenge to marketing, PR and media professionals to join together in an awareness campaign to change perceptions that HIV testing is only for the sick. The Livewired team made a collective decision this week to get tested for HIV at New Start - a voluntary counselling and testing centre in Johannesburg.

Janine Bührmann, Livewired Communications managing director, says: "Many people still don't realize that HIV is everyone's problem. If each one of us makes the decision to individually or collectively commit to knowing our status and supporting those around us to do the same, we can influence and change negative perceptions around getting tested for HIV.

"As a team we all felt we could lean on each other for support no matter what the outcome of our tests were. We also agreed upfront that it was up to each individual to decide whether to share their status with other team members or not."

According to Bührmann, New Start provided a safe, anonymous and extremely professional service. This consisted of individual pre and post-counselling with trained counsellors who go through most of the concerns or questions raised around being tested and the possible outcome of the test.

"The actual test itself was pain free - just a quick prick on the finger and a few drops of blood placed onto the two tests (which was verified as belonging to you as you watched the entire process)," Bührmann explains.

The test only takes about 15 minutes to show a result and the immediacy of knowing one's status is a great benefit of the New Start centres.

The last step in the process is getting the actual test result from your counsellor who then does post-counselling as well.

"We would like to encourage the entire industry to join in this initiative. We can make a difference: by teaming up we can create awareness amongst ourselves and encourage others to know their status."

About New Start
New Start aims at giving South Africans an inexpensive, accessible way to learn their status and work with trained counsellors to come up with a plan to live long and be strong, whether they test positive or negative.