People can now order rapid HIV self-testing kits online and pick them up at 7-Eleven convenience stores, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
The test is easy, requiring a gentle swipe with the test swab on the upper and lower gums, and then the swab is placed in a test tube and the result is available in 15 to 20 minutes, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.
The online sales that began yesterday are the second wave of the 2020 HIV Home Testing Program that began on May 1, which allowed people to purchase rapid test kits at 362 locations nationwide, including pharmacies, saunas and vending machines, Lo said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
The kits cost NT$245 on delivery — which includes a NT$45 shipping fee — and people can choose the 7-Eleven outlet where they want the kit sent, he said.
However, people willing to register their initial results online with the CDC would receive an electronic coupon for a free test kit, he added.
The selected store will send a package pickup notice and people would then have seven days to pick it up, he said.
Other convenience store chains would be added to the program by the end of this month, Lo said.
The parcel label would not list the contents of the package or the manufacturer, so people do not need to worry about privacy concerns, the CDC said.
People should not panic if their test is positive, but should make an appointment at a designated HIV treatment healthcare facility for a thorough examination as soon as possible, and the CDC would cover the registration fee and the copayment for the outpatient visit, it added.
People who have multiple sex partners, regularly engage in unprotected sex or practice behaviors with high infection risks should be tested for HIV at least once every three to six months, the CDC said.
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