The New York State Department of Health has launched its 2023 HIV Self-Test Giveaway campaign, highlighting the importance of HIV self-testing as a tool to empower individuals to take control of their sexual health and reduce the transmission of HIV. The HIV self-test giveaway is a self-testing strategy that makes HIV testing easily accessible and available to persons who may not seek out traditional in-person HIV testing services. The giveaway will end on December 31, 2023.
“HIV self-tests are an accurate and private way for people to learn their HIV status,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “Knowing your status is an empowering step to protecting your health and brings us a step closer to ending the AIDS epidemic in New York State.”
An HIV self-test kit allows people to learn their HIV status quickly and conveniently in the privacy of their own home. New York State’s first HIV Self-Test Giveaway began in 2016 as a pilot project to reach those who identify as men who have sex with men. The populations prioritized during this giveaway include cisgender Latinas, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning communities, and cisgender Black women.
Individuals interested in receiving a free HIV self-test kit can visit the Department of Health’s website here or text the word TEST to 40457 to see if they are eligible to receive a free HIV self-test kit mailed directly to their home.
