HIV Screening and Testing
All sexually active people benefit from regular Sexual Health screening and testing to ensure their sexual health is well looked after. This can include testing for a variety of Sexually Transmitted infections including HIV and other blood borne viruses. Sometimes though, embarrassment, stigma or fear of test results, can reduce the likelihood of engaging with testing and treatment…
Other Services:
Our female doctors and nurses support comprehensive sexual health testing as part of a regular, healthy sexual life and therefore all their support is without judgement, regardless of the testing outcome. Some of these tests can be done by you at the clinic, and some require blood tests that can be performed a short walk away from the clinic.
Should treatment or ongoing support be required due to the result of testing, this can be provided within Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre (LWCHC), or local referral pathways can be established closer to you.
Women at risk of HIV face unique challenges that require targeted support and resources, including access to comprehensive sexual education, awareness raising, and prevention of HIV transmission methods are crucial. Through education, advocacy, and accessible healthcare, we can work towards a future where all women have the resources, they need to stay healthy and HIV-free.
Benefits of HIV screening and testing:
The benefits of screening and testing for sexually transmitted infections and blood borne viruses are early treatment options, reducing infertility and healthy sex life. Awareness raising for professionals engaging with women who may be at risk of HIV transmission. Capacity raising for professionals who may not have considered heterosexual HIV transmission in their health practice, and feel uncertain about whether to encourage HIV testing, or what are best practice steps should a woman test positive.
Short Video “Could it be HIV?”
Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre have created a short video “Could it be HIV?” to assist in awareness raising for women’s HIV risk. This video is designed for women, community members and health professionals. The video contains information about importance of screening, who is at risk of HIV transmission and lived experience of HIV diagnosis within Australia.
Download the whole video or individual chapters:
Could It Be HIV – Video (34.27 mins)
Individual Chapters
Could it be HIV – Introduction (6 mins)
Symptoms and Diagnosis (5.27 mins)
Responding to the Diagnosis (4.50 mins)
Managing HIV (2.32 mins)
Support (2.54 mins)
The Importance of HIV testing (3.07 mins)
Preventing HIV Transmission (2.16 mins)
HIV and Having Children (33 seconds)
The Future (1.15 mins)
Legal Advice (3.57 mins)
Thank you to the women and NSW services who participated in the making of the video, our project partner Pozhet and the funder Sydney Local Health District.
For all enquiries please contact us.
Contact us today
Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre provides client centred and trauma informed wrap-around health services, support and education to marginalised and financially disadvantaged women.
LWCHC is committed to embracing diversity and eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of health services. LWCHC welcomes all women irrespective of ethnicity, mental health, history of suicidality, drug use, faith, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
We are not a crisis counselling or drop-in centre. Our practitioners see women by appointment. Phone us to find out more or to book an appointment: 9560 3011. If you have an urgent medical condition, please go straight to the hospital or dial 000.
Funded by NSW Health
Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre (LWCHC) acknowledges and pays respect to the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We acknowledge the continuation of cultural and spiritual practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. LWCHC supports The Uluru Statement From the Heart.
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