Antigua has halted testing people for HIV and this decision is being blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic.
HIV AIDS Programme Manager Delcora Williams says in order to adhere to social distancing requirements, no HIV tests are being conducted by the HIV clinic until further notice.
“An HIV test is a very intimate thing,” Williams said.
“The counsellor sits on one end of the table and the individual sits on the other. There’s not even a distance of two to three feet separating the person accessing services, so therefore that service cannot be offered at this moment.”
Williams said people can still access condoms and the clinic continues to provide patients with care and treatment.
In recent weeks health authorities in several countries have been expressing concern that the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to increased STD rates and setbacks in the fight against HIV as public health resources are shifted to the coronavirus response.
Access to STD and HIV testing and treatment services have been dwindling as local health departments shuffle staff to respond to COVID-19 and clinics reduce hours or close altogether and cancel outreach programs.
“We are seeing a complete disruption to STD prevention here in the United States,” said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD).
“We expect to experience even higher STD rates as a result.”
Harvey said specialists who work at local health departments tracking STDs and other infectious diseases are being reassigned to the COVID-19 response.
These specialists would typically contact people who have tested positive for STDs and HIV, make sure they’re getting treatment and interview them confidentially about who they have had sexual contact with to ensure those individuals also get testing and treatment.
Other staff, including doctors and nurses, have also been redeployed to the COVID-19 response. Clinics are reducing hours and limiting appointments, no longer accepting walk-in patients, reducing services or suspending outreach activities.
11 responses to “Antigua cancels HIV tests due to COVID-19”
For real
Not good
This makes no sense
How can you cancel HIV test due to Covid -19? Is there a correlation? Do they now have to use the same things to test for Covid? Are they erring on the side of caution? Let me go read see.
Jokes
It’s official. Common sense is expensive, and they don’t have the money for it. 🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
I thought the article heading was misleading but I read the article and it jus have me baffled how is testing hiv an “very intimate thing” ?
In addition, is not the reopening of barber shops and hair dresser salons also intimate?
They cancelled HIV testing because if you tested positive for COVID-19 you would 100% test positive for HIV and vice versa. They don’t want you to know that.
Pure ignorance..