The I’m Ready Jamaica is full integrated with the comprehensive services of Health Connect Jamaica. Health Connect Jamaica provides access to medical services all across country. These include doctor visits, medication collection from pharmacies, blood tests from laboratories and our other virtual support services including counselling and case management.
The care pathways are detailed care journeys tailored to help you navigate the healthcare and information needs that may come up for you when you’re looking for information and support related to HIV self-testing, prevention and care.
We designed these to be useful for everyone.
Whether you have downloaded the Health Connect Jamaica Virtual app to get a free HIV self-test and be part of our program yet or not, it’s always a good time to learn about HIV testing, prevention and care.
Please see below the pathways depending on your HIV status.
If your HIV self-test result is negative
If your self-test results are negative, contact our Peer Navigators or Case Managers through the Health Connect Jamaica Virtual app or call Health Connect Jamaica at 876-669-7349, using WhatsApp at 876-308-0198 or visit our website (healthconnectja.com) for linkage to prevention services such as PrEP or PEP. You can also contact us for information on sexual health, additional testing for other sexually transmitted infections, or for help with finding other social support services.
Accessing PrEP
Regarding PrEP:
- Talk to our Case Managers if you are interested in PrEP.
- The Doctors we partner with can provide you with PrEP.
Accessing PEP
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a way to help prevent HIV from being transmitted to an HIV-negative person who may have been exposed to the virus. You must start PEP within 72 hours of being exposed. This is different from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which you start taking before and continue taking after being exposed to HIV. If you think you need PEP, go to your nearest hospital accident and emergency department or a sexual health clinic right away.
If your HIV self-test result is positive
Contact our Peer Navigators or Case Managers through the Health Connect Jamaica Virtual app or call Health Connect Jamaica at 876-669-7349, using WhatsApp at 876-308-0198 for linkage to confirmation testing at a lab, for support with counselling, and to discuss next steps. You can also book a FREE appointment at one of our partner labs for confirmatory testing on your own using our website (healthconnectja.com).
About HIV confirmatory testing
You should talk to our teamas soon as possible to tell them that your result was positive so you can get the information and support you need to take care of your health. The self-test you took is a highly accurate screening test, however all HIV self-test positive results need to be confirmed by a lab test to get a formal HIV diagnosis.
While there is no cure for HIV, HIV is treatable. People with HIV on treatment can live long, healthy lives. The medications used to treat HIV are called antiretrovirals. They prevent the virus from replicating and slow the disease’s progress. Starting antiretroviral therapy early can lower the virus in you to an undetectable level so that you can stay healthy, and so that you can’t transmit the virus to others.
About HIV treatment and care
- If your Confirmatory test is positive, you can be connected with our Treatment Program. We provide comprehensive medical services for all of your treatment and care needs including doctor visits, lab testing, medications and support and counselling. If you are not able to afford healthcare, we will be able to access all of our services for FREE!
- Make an appointment with our Case Managers to discuss your treatment and care options.
If your HIV self-test result is invalid
If the HIV self-test results are invalid (i.e. no visible control line), this means that the test did not work. If this happens, you should:
- Repeat the self-test with a new test kit and pay close attention to the instructions for use to ensure that the test procedure is conducted correctly.
- Make an appointment with our Peer Navigators so they can help you while you perform the test through the Health Connect Jamaica Virtual app.
- Use an alternative HIV testing option such as laboratory-based testing. Book a FREE lab test through our website (healthconnectja.com)