June 27 declared Provincial HIV Testing Day in Saskatchewan

Following the lead of national days in Canada and the United States, Saskatchewan is declaring June 27 Provincial Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing Day.

“This day raises awareness around the importance of getting tested, and reducing the stigma associated with HIV,” said Health Minister Paul Merriman in a news release.

“We hope this will encourage our residents to feel more comfortable getting tested, whether it’s in a clinical setting or from a self-testing kit.”

The province is pushing the importance of knowing whether you have HIV, pointing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which said that nearly 40 per cent of new infections are transmitted by people who don’t know they’re infected themselves.

The province suggests people be tested for HIV every five years and more often if they’re having sex, sharing drug use equipment or are pregnant.

Saskatchewan led the country in new cases of HIV reported per capita in 2021 with 237 new cases, according to the Ministry of Health. That was the largest number recorded in the province in a single year.

“Increasing HIV testing, early diagnosis and treatment are critical to fighting the HIV epidemic in Saskatchewan,” said AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan Executive Director Shiny Mary Varghese in a news release.

There are several options for testing in the province, including standard blood tests, rapid HIV point of care tests, and HIV self-test kits which can be done at home. Testing is free and confidential across the province from doctors, nurse practitioners, local public health offices, community-based organizations or testing clinics.