LoveYourself Inc. offers free and anonymous HIV testing on May 29

In an effort to address the alarming rise in HIV infection recorded early this year, the nongovernment organization LoveYourself Inc. will offer free, anonymous, and fast HIV screening on May 29 at Victoria Court Malate.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported 736 new cases of HIV infection in March 2016, of which 97 percent were from the male population.

This is 10 percent higher than the 667 cases reported in the same period last year, LoveYourself Inc. said.

“In the first quarter of 2016, an average of 25 Filipinos daily now get infected with the virus that when left untreated may severely weaken the immune system and lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrom or AIDS,” the group said in their statement.

Dubbed as Project Incognito, the HIV screening will strictly follow the military protocol, “what you see, what you hear, when you leave, leave it here.”

To ensure confidentiality, LoveYourself Inc. said the procedure will not require clients to fill out identification forms. Clients will also be given masks to conceal their identities during the screening.

However, interested individuals should still register at go.loveyourself.ph/incognito using their mobile numbers to secure a slot.

“Through Project Incognito, we aim to encourage the untapped populations who are afraid to go out in open and get screened,” LoveYourself Executive Director Ronivinn Pagtakhan said in a press statement.

The said project, while primarily targeted to the male population, will also be open to female clients who would want to avail of the free HIV screening services.

The screening will accept clients from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Clients will be subjected to a Rapid Test which involves extracting blood samples through pricking of a finger.

The entire process will not take more than 15 minutes—this is inclusive of free counseling which will tackle safe practices to lower the risk of HIV infection.

The Project Incognito is conducted in partnership with DOH’s Research Institue for Tropical Medicine.

It is part of the efforts to support the Philippine International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. —Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/KG, GMA News