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FREE COUNSELING AND TESTING
Theme of the day being “Know your Status”, People were invited for free guiding /counseling and HIV testing, this was to help them know their status and start their clinic to avoid the virus from damaging their health permanently, which is why early diagnosis is so important.
KEY POINTS:
- • Factors such as lack of knowledge increases vulnerability to HIV/AIDS Infection.
• There is growing evidence that people with disabilities are at higher risk of HIV infection than people who are not disabled.
• People with disabilities often experience increased risk factors associated with acquiring HIV including poverty, increased vulnerability to sexual violence and abuse, limited access to education and healthcare, and lack the information and resources needed to facilitate safer sex.
• People with disabilities are often overlooked in HIV sexual and reproductive health and rights programming and face increased barriers to accessing services.
• HIV and disability are also linked as people can develop disabilities as a result of the progression of HIV or due to the side-effects of antiretroviral treatment (ART).
• Tackling HIV among people with disabilities needs a rights-based approach, which tackles barriers holistically so that wider issues such as gender-inequality and violence are addressed.
• HIV becomes a chronic long-term illness, evidence on HIV-related disabilities is emerging.
• Stigma and discrimination acts as a major barrier preventing people with disabilities from access the HIV and SRHR services they are entitled to.
