LR Königsberger-Ludwig: “Bus for Sexual Health” offers low-threshold, anonymous tests in all five health regions
St.Pölten (OTS) – In a press conference this Wednesday in St. Pölten, State Health Councilor Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig, together with the managing director of Aids Hilfe Vienna Andrea Brunner and the designated state health director Regina Klenk, presented the new HIV testing program, which starts today, November 29th.
For 30 years, World AIDS Day, annually on December 1st, has drawn attention to the disease and the achievements in the fight against it, as well as attention to education in order to eliminate prejudices. “With the therapy options available today, people can achieve a high individual quality of life, even with an HIV-positive test,” said Königsberger-Ludwig, “but only with an early diagnosis.” The prerequisite for this is the creation of testing offers, said the state health councilor, “that’s why, from today onwards, Lower Austrians can have themselves tested for HIV at a low threshold, free of charge and anonymously.”
In the so-called ‘bus for sexual health’, free, anonymous HIV antigen antibody tests as well as free, anonymous rapid HIV tests will be offered in all five health regions, starting today from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Landhausplatz St. Pölten near the sound tower. “I am convinced that we will close the existing HIV testing gaps, at the same time avoid late diagnoses and thus open the door to successful therapy,” says Königsberger-Ludwig, “because we know that is the key to good and timely treatment Treatment is early diagnosis.”
“There are currently around 8,700 HIV-infected people living in Austria, which is 0.1 percent of the population, but only ten percent of them know about their infection,” she continued. In 2022 there were 473 new diagnoses, 36 of them from Lower Austria. So far, Aids Hilfe Vienna, whose responsibility also includes Lower Austria and Burgenland, has primarily tested compatriots in the Aids Hilfe Haus Vienna. “With our free test offer on the ‘Bus for Sexual Health’ we are creating a low-threshold offer for early detection directly in our Lower Austrian regions.
Regina Klenk, designated Lower Austrian Health Director, spoke about the medical aspects of HIV and AIDS and explained: “The human immunodeficiency virus HIV is a retrovirus that enters the body via body fluids and very quickly attacks the host cells, the so-called CD4 cells – defense cells , which are particularly important for the human immune system. As soon as this happens, the virus spreads rapidly and the risk of infection is enormous, especially at this time due to the high viral load. That’s why a quick test after contact with HIV is extremely important, said Klenk, who emphasized: “If the HIV infection goes untreated, it will become severe.” Klenk also spoke about the therapy and said: “With an early diagnosis, it is The use of a combination therapy is crucial, which can prevent proliferation in the cells and significantly alleviate the symptoms.” This could even ensure that “the viral load is brought below the detection limit,” which means that these people are no longer contagious. “Transmission is no longer possible during pregnancy, breastfeeding or sexual contact.”
Andrea Brunner, managing director of Aids Hilfe Wien, thanked the state of Lower Austria for the ‘Bus for Sexual Health’ project and thus the free, low-threshold testing options in Lower Austria, because “we currently have around 43 percent of so-called ‘late presenters’, i.e. people who get a very late diagnosis,” said Brunner, who further explained: “These ‘late presenters’ are, on average, heterosexual men in rural areas around the age of 50.” These people have to be reached and that’s why this joint test offer is “very important “To enable earlier diagnoses, to get people into therapy quickly and thus to break the chains of infection.”
In the Lower Austrian “Bus for Sexual Health”, the following services are offered in conjunction with a preliminary discussion by Aids Hilfe Wien advisors: Free and anonymous HIV antigen antibody tests (diagnostic window: 6 weeks), Free and anonymous rapid HIV tests ( diagnostic window: 12 weeks), hepatitis B (17 euros, titer 8 euros) and C tests (16 euros), fee-based anonymous syphilis (12 euros)
The dates in the 5 health regions are November 29th, 2023 in St. Pölten, April 9th, 2024 in Amstetten and May 7th, 2024 in Zwettl. The dates in Wiener Neustadt and Mistelbach will be announced later
Further information: Office LR Königsberger-Ludwig, Anton Heinzl, 02742/9005-12576, email anton.heinzl@noel.gv.at or at the AIDS Hilfe Vienna, office@aids-hilfe-wien.at
Questions & Contact:
Office of the Lower Austrian State Government
State Office Directorate/Public Relations
Doris Zöger
02742/9005-13314
presse@noel.gv.at
www.noe.gv.at/presse