Yucatán launches free HIV self-test pilot program

In response to the increase in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in Yucatán in recent years, where a rate of 22.18 diagnoses per 100,000 inhabitants was reported in 2022, health authorities, specialists, and members of civil society organizations have launched an innovative strategy to expand early detection of the virus through the free delivery of self-tests via a dating application.

The pilot strategy will be implemented in Mérida, Tizimín, and Valladolid, with a total availability of five thousand self-tests.

The initiative is promoted by the Health Research Consortium (Cisidat), in coordination with Civil Society Organizations and state authorities, and will be deployed as a pilot test in Mérida, Tizimín, and Valladolid, with a total availability of five thousand self-tests that will be delivered over a period of six months or until supplies run out.

During the presentation of the program, it was highlighted that this strategy represents a key advance in the fight against HIV underdiagnosis.

“The alliance between Cisidat, civil society organizations, and the strategic use of digital applications strengthens timely diagnosis and brings prevention closer to those who need it most,” said Gabriela Pérez Ávalos, director of the Wellness Center Mérida of the Yucatán Ministry of Health.

She explained that the project is supported by Official Mexican Standard 010, which officially recognizes self-testing as a valid tool for HIV detection, and that it adheres to the Antiretroviral Management Guide, which integrates the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as pillars of combined prevention.

For her part, Alicia Piñeirua Menéndez, president of the Cisidat Secretariat and lead researcher of the project, detailed that, in addition to the free test, people will receive comprehensive support.

According to data from the National Human Rights Commission, it is estimated that around 400,000 people in Mexico live with HIV; however, only 7 out of 10 have been diagnosed.

Through the alliance with the Mexico Vivo Foundation, beneficiaries will also be able to access the digital platform Paress, which offers online counseling available 24 hours a day, specialized support, and informative audiovisual material.

Interested persons over 18 years of age can register through the digital platform enabled from the Grinder application. In Tizimín, the phone number 999 435 6436 has been enabled to request information and access to the self-test.

In Mérida, the collection points are: the Wellness Center Mérida, at Calle 50, corner with 67, Centro, and at the Agustín O’Horán Hospital, on Avenida Itzáes, corner with Avenida Canek.