Today is Provincial Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV Testing Day, which coincides with the annual National HIV Testing Day in Canada.

A release from the province says this initiative aims to reduce the stigma around HIV testing and ensure everyone knows their status.

Health Minister Everett Hindley says, “HIV is manageable and with early diagnosis and treatment, people infected with HIV can have long and productive lives and reduce the risk of transmission to others.”

Several test options are available in Saskatchewan, including standard blood tests which can take a few days for results. There are also rapid HIV point of care tests which provide preliminary results within minutes and are confirmed by a lab test. HIV self-test kits are also available at more than 40 locations across the province. The tests can be done at home and only require a small sample of blood from your fingertip. Testing is free, confidential and available from physicians, nurse practitioners, local public health offices, community-based organizations or testing clinics across the province.