Friday, November 22, 2024

A First for HIV Testing in France

 

Taking an AIDS screening test in a pharmacy is now possible in the Cote d’Azur.

Six pharmacies in the French region bordering Monaco have been chosen to take part in a pilot national program offering rapid and anonymous HIV screening tests. These tests are free of charge and deliver results quickly for those seeking them.

Located in Menton, Cap d’Ail, and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, these six pharmacies are the first in France to provide this confidential and fast HIV testing service.

Launched by the French government in October, the initiative serves as a pilot program expected to pave the way for a future nationwide implementation.

“The project will initially be deployed on an experimental basis in certain areas of the Alpes-Maritimes, before a potential extension to other territories, less equipped with medical resources, depending on the results,” says a representative for Objectif Sida Zéro, a Nice-based association that supports people in the region living with HIV and AIDS. “This new lever for action will bring the region even closer to the ambitious objective of ending the transmission of HIV.”

The tests are available anonymously to anyone, require no prescription, and are provided free of charge.

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