APRI Mailing At-home HIV Testing Kits

APRI Launches At-Home HIV Testing Program

Rhode Islanders can now get free tests by mail to learn their HIV status in the privacy of their homes

by Mikel Wadewitz, Director, AIDS Project Rhode Island

This past March, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was talking with my HIV testing and prevention team and at some point said, “Oh, we’ll likely just work from home for the next two to three weeks.”

We learned quickly during March and April that, even at the height of a new pandemic, many people were still having sex with partners they did not know well, they still needed access to safer-sex supplies, and many were worried about their HIV status.

In coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Health, we soon pivoted to purchase at-home HIV testing kits and worked toward mailing them out free to any Rhode Island resident who was at risk. When we quietly unveiled the program in late spring, the response confirmed that many people were waiting for and appreciated this option. Our team quickly adapted to a world of phone calls, emails, and texts with clients, and we were happy to be able to provide a service that they clearly wanted.

As we wonder what the next few months will look like as the pandemic continues, we’re working to expand our at-home testing program to more parts of the state, and make sure folks who may not

yet feel comfortable going to a medical provider setting, or who may have never been tested before, know they have this option. We can help guide them through the process.

There are many ways we can keep ourselves healthy right now, even during uncertain times. Wash those hands. Wear your masks. Get your flu shot. And if you’re sexually active, make sure you get tested!

To request a free, at-home HIV testing kit, please visit www.aidsprojectri.org/ athome. (We will include condoms with mailed tests.)

To order free condoms and other safer sex supplies from the RI Dept. of Health, please visit https://health.ri.gov/diseases/ std/ and look for the link on the left-hand side to order.

APRI is dedicated to providing a compassionate, nonjudgmental, and collaborative response to the needs ofpeople living with, affected by, and at risk for acquiring HIV. APRI, a division of Family Service of Rhode Island, currently provides the largest number of support services in the state for individuals living with HIV/ AIDS, as well as comprehensive prevention and testing services. For more information, please visit aidsprojectri.org.

Mikel Wadewitz