The connect project promotes HIV testing and helps you get access to free HIV self-testing kits.

Sometimes the test can be wrong, so any positive result needs to be followed up with a blood test with a doctor.

If your test says that you are HIV positive, this means that the test has detected anti-bodies and you will need to get a blood sample taken to confirm that you are HIV positive. Anti-bodies are what your body produces when HIV enters your blood stream.

If you would like the SAMESH Peer Navigator to support you in seeking a follow up test, please call: 0429 179 908

Alternatively, you can get tested at any of these places:

• SHINE SA is a not-for-profit provider of primary care services and education for sexual and relationship wellbeing. SHINE SA provides nurse-led and medical clinical assessment, treatment and counselling services. You can call  (08) 8300 5300 to speak to someone or make an appointment, or you can make an appointment online: https://shinesa.org.au
  When you book your appointment make sure you tell a staff member that you have used a self-test kit from a CONNECT vending machine.
• Adelaide Sexual Health Centre provides a free, confidential service. This includes advice, testing, and treatment for all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. It is best to call them directly to book an appointment.  Adelaide Sexual Health Centre | SA Health
  Please inform the receptionist that you have used a self-test kit from a CONNECT vending machine.

If you are looking for a doctor who is closer to where you live or study, find them here: https://www.thedramadownunder.info/find-a-clinic/

If you need to speak with someone, you can call or email any of these services for support:

• SAMESH provides support, education and training about sexual health and HIV for men who have sex with men and people living with HIV, as well as services for the broader LGBTIQ community in South Australia: https://samesh.org.au
• SHINE SA is a not-for-profit provider of primary care services and education for sexual and relationship wellbeing. SHINE SA provides nurse-led and medical clinical assessment, treatment and counselling services. You can call (08) 8300 5300 to speak to someone or make an appointment, or you can make an appointment online: https://shinesa.org.au

• PEACE Multicultural Health Services work with people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, regardless of visa status. Their services include: MOSAIC, blood borne virus support services which focus on the health and emotional wellbeing of people living with and affected by HIV and Viral Hepatitis, and Indaba SA, a program designed for women living with or at risk of HIV:  PEACE Multicultural Services – Relationships Australia South Australia (rasa.org.au)

• Relationships Australia South Australia is a not for profit, secular, community organisation that provides a wide range of services, including telehealth, for vulnerable and disadvantaged people: Telehealth – Relationships Australia South Australia (rasa.org.au)
• QLife provides anonymous LGBTI peer support and referral via telephone and webchat. QLife services are free and support is delivered by trained LGBTI community members between 3pm and midnight every day: Get Help (qlife.org.au)

If you need to speak with someone outside of business hours, you can call LIFELINE on 13 11 14. They are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. LIFELINE provides phone, text, and online chat services for people in crisis.

This means that the test did not detect any anti-bodies and you can be sure that you don’t have HIV. Anti-bodies are what your body produces when HIV enters your blood stream.

However, with all HIV tests you need to think about the window period. The window period is the length of time it takes from when HIV enters your body to when antibodies are produced that can be detected by a test. For the Atomo HIV self-test kit, the window period is three months. This means that the test may not detect HIV that has entered your body in the last three months.

If you think you have been exposed to HIV in the last three months, it is important to speak to a doctor or visit a sexual health clinic and have a blood sample taken.

For men who have sex with men, it is recommended you get tested for HIV and other STIs every 3 months, and at least once a year.

For women, it is suggested that you get tested for HIV at least once a year, and if you think you may have been exposed to HIV.

If the test did not work or the result isn’t clear, then it’s best to either do another test, or to follow up by getting a blood sample taken by a doctor. This will tell you whether you have HIV or not.

You can get tested at any of these places:

• SHINE SA is a not-for-profit provider of primary care services and education for sexual and relationship wellbeing. SHINE SA provides nurse-led and medical clinical assessment, treatment and counselling services. You can call  (08) 8300 5300 to speak to someone or make an appointment, or you can make an appointment online: https://shinesa.org.au
  When you book your appointment make sure you tell a staff member that you have used the CONNECT service so that you are not charged a fee.
• Adelaide Sexual Health Centre provides a free, confidential service. This includes advice, testing, and treatment for all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Adelaide Sexual Health Centre | SA Health

If you are looking for a doctor who is closer to where you live or study, find them here: https://www.thedramadownunder.info/find-a-clinic/

You can always access another HIV self-test kit at any time from the CONNECT Vending Machine.