Sexual health services

Express HIV testing at HQ will allow for rapid HIV testing and same-day results. Visitors to HQ can walk-in and register via express testing kiosks, and return visitors can connect with services on the online portal. From there, an HIV blood test will be drawn by on-site staff and assessed in HQ’s on-site laboratory. Results will be sent by text or email to service users either the same day or next day The express testing system allows for people to be immediately connected to HIV treatment and care, or to HIV prevention tools such as PrEP.

Testing is the only way to know if you have HIV. While testing can be scary, detection of HIV can allow you to start on HIV treatment and care. Early detection of HIV leads to better health outcomes.

Anyone who is sexually active should be tested for HIV at least once a year (annually). Some people may be more vulnerable to HIV, including gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men; African, Caribbean, and Black people; people who use injection drugs; and transgender women.

Anyone who is sexually active should be tested for HIV at least once a year (annually). How often a person gets tested will depend on the kind of sex they are having. It is recommended that people who have sex with multiple partners, have condomless sex, or use drugs during sex (party and play) get tested more frequently, such as every 3 months. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, you should be tested at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months after the possible exposure.

If you test positive for HIV, a healthcare provider from HQ will contact you to provide counselling and discuss an HIV care plan. The healthcare provider will utilise HQ’s referral network to connect you with a doctor to oversee your HIV care, as well as social support, financial support, and community care services. Free, three-month supplies of HIV medications (ART) are available at HQ to ensure immediate access to treatment for people who test positive for HIV.

If you test negative for HIV, you will be notified via email. Depending on your responses to the self-assessment kiosk survey, a healthcare provider may contact you to discuss HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a once-daily pill taken by people who are HIV-negative that can prevent the sexual transmission of HIV by up to 99%.

• If you have OHIP, you MUST bring your OHIP card.
• If you do not have OHIP but have coverage in another province, you MUST bring that provincial healthcard.
• If you have additional health coverage like UHIP (university and colleges) or IFH please bring this with you.
• If you do not have health coverage in Canada, please bring a piece of legal ID (this can be a passport, a visa, or another piece of identification with your photo and legal name).
• Please bring your mobile phone (we will be asking you to verify your email and cellphone number at your first visit).
• Please bring with you a list of your medications.

If your prescriber has access to the Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS), you can get your testing done at HQ. If your provider does not have OLIS access, in order to get results you will need to come back to the clinic to get paper copies to give to your provider.