Rapid HIV testing in Tampere – no appointment needed!

Sinuiksi ry organizes rapid HIV testing for sexual and gender minorities in Tampere. The service is provided by Hivpoint once a month and it is anonymous and free of charge. You can get tested at Sinuiksi ry for the first time on Wednesday 27 April at 12-16.

You should consider getting an HIV test:

• if you have had vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom and you don’t know your sexual partner´s HIV status.
• if you have had oral sex and received vaginal secretions, pre-ejaculate or semen in your mouth. And you don´t know if your sexual partner has HIV.

Facts about the rapid HIV testing:

• The rapid HIV test is done by taking a small drop of blood from the fingertip.
• The result will be available in 60 seconds.
• HIV testing service is anonymous and free of charge.
• A negative test result is fully reliable three months after the exposure.

Developing the low-threshold testing services together with the City of Tampere

Due to funding cuts Hivpoint´s office and services were closed at Tampere in 2021 . At that time, the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA) stopped funding HIV rapid testing services for many NGOs and stated that it was unequivocally part of primary health care. One of the reasons was that public health care also allows you to take an anonymous HIV test if you wish. However, based on Hivpoint’s studies and customer work experience, this is not always the case. Access to the test in the public health care is often far from low-threshold services if the customer has to justify why they want to take the test anonymously when booking an appointment.

We know from experience that some HLBTIQ people do not even use health care services they need if they fear that the encounter will not be considerate and respectful. People should have access to HIV testing in such a way that concerns about their own identity, the form of the relationship or the perceived sensitivity of sex life and risk situations do not prevent access to treatment.

Mikko Ala-Kapee, Director of Sinuiksi ry

Low-threshold HIV rapid testing in Hivpoint Helsinki has been funded by the City of Helsinki. The same decision has now been made by the City of Tampere, which finances the rapid HIV testing service provided by the Sinuiksi ry for sexual and gender minorities in the Tampere region.

The prevention of HIV and people’s sexual health is best supported when, in addition to public health care, targeted low-threshold testing services are also available. It is great that the City of Tampere has understood this and is funding an HIV testing service organised by Sinuiksi ry.

Jenny Tigerstedt, Director of HIV prevention and services

The agreement between Sinuiksi ry, the City of Tampere and Hivpoint was arranged, and the monthly HIV rapid testing service will now start in April.