A new HIV self-testing and research program could ensure more Islanders get a diagnosis and the followup support they need.
The I’m Ready program is national in scope and was launched this month by Reach Nexus, a research group. Canadians can order HIV test kits online through a mobile app and get them delivered to their home, or to a local pick-up spot. PEERS Alliance, a sexual health centre in Charlottetown, is a pick-up location on P.E.I. for the program.
“We estimate that there’s over 8,000 people that are living with HIV in Canada and don’t know it,” said Dr. Sean Rourke, a clinical neuropsychologist and a scientist at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, which is involved in the program.