Since May 2021, Testpoint has again been able to offer syphilis tests. As the world situation in 2020 meant that we our supplier no longer offered those tests. The new supplier INSTI has a combo test that tests for antibodies against HIV and syphilis simultaneously, in the same test unit.
How early can you test?
It takes different individuals different amounts of time to develop antibodies to HIV, but eight weeks after risk is considered a reliable negative result. For syphilis, it is 12 weeks after risk.
A small proportion of the population has other factors in their blood that cause a reaction in the test. Therefore, our test is not a sufficient basis for diagnosis, but confirmatory lab tests are necessary to determine HIV status definitively.
Where and when?
In June, Testpoint moved its testing room to our premises at Alsnögatan 7 and is open for drop-in visits within the organization's target group on Tuesdays and Thursdays 18-20.30.
About Testpoint Stockholm
Testpoint Stockholm is a rapid HIV and syphilis testing service run by RFSL Stockholm, with funding from the Swedish Public Health Agency. Our aims are to help people who do not know their HIV status to find out, and to de-dramatize HIV testing and encourage regular testing in our target groups. The target groups are transgender people and cis men who have sex with men, and LGBTQ people who have recently moved to Sweden.
Our testing staff are people who have a good knowledge of HIV, sex and sexuality and have been specially trained to carry out rapid testing and counseling. We are not health professionals, and Testpoint operates outside the health sector. Everyone who works at Testpoint has signed a confidentiality agreement, which means that we cannot pass on anything that is said at Testpoint to anyone else.
More information is available at Testpoint website.
