Health centers already provide HIV care services, including Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and are well positioned to integrate HIV testing, prevention, care, and treatment into essential enabling services such as outreach, patient education, case management, and care coordination. This integration can increase access and improve health outcomes for patients living with HIV.
However, some studies show that barriers to testing include patients’ perception of HIV as a low risk, concerns over privacy, and the persistent stigma associated with HIV testing and diagnosis. It is crucial that health centers receive training and technical assistance (T/TA) to better educate patients about actual risks, address stigma, and ensure privacy during the testing process.