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HIV + HEP C Services

HIV Testing

According to CDC guidelines, everyone ages 13 to 64 should get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. Folks with other risk factors should test at least yearly. Pacific Pride Foundation offers free Rapid HIV Antibody testing. 

The Facts
  • More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. are infected with HIV and the CDC estimates that one in seven don’t know it.
  • individuals who are unaware of their infection account for ~40% of transmissions.
  • Fewer than 40% of people in the U.S. have ever had an HIV test.

    Other Risk Factors
    • You’re a man who has had sex with another man.
      • You’ve had anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV.
        • You’ve had more than one sex partner since your last HIV test.
          • You’ve shared needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment (for example, cookers).
            • You’ve exchanged sex for drugs or money.
              • You’ve been diagnosed with or treated for another sexually transmitted infection, hepatitis, or tuberculosis (TB).
                • You’ve had sex with someone who has done anything listed above or you don’t know their sexual history.

                Test Types

                The CDC lists three types of tests for HIV

                • Antibody tests look for antibodies to HIV in a person’s blood or oral fluid. 
                • Antigen/antibody tests look for both HIV antibodies and antigens. Antibodies are produced by a person’s immune system when they’re exposed to viruses like HIV. Antigens are foreign substances that cause a person’s immune system to activate. 
                • NATs look for the actual virus in the blood. This test should be considered for people who have had a recent exposure or a possible exposure with early symptoms of HIV and have tested negative with an antibody or antigen/antibody test.

                HIV Rapid Antibody Testing

                Pacific Pride Foundation offers free rapid antibody tests that you can take at home. Tests are provided at either of our office locations, and at any SSP site. 

                Rapid antibody tests look for the presence of antibodies in the blood. Antibodies are produced as a result of exposure to a virus.

                If your test is “reactive” meaning that lines are present in both the control and test sections, you will need confirmation testing. This can be done through a primary care provider, Santa Barbara County Public Health (free), or Planned Parenthood (low cost options).

                Hepatitis C Testing

                Testing is the only way to know if you have Hepatitis C. CDC guidelines state that everyone should get tested at least once in their life, but other folks with certain risk factors should get tested periodically.

                Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is found in the blood of persons who have this infection. Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from a person infected with the hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. People can become infected with the hepatitis C virus during such activities as sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment to inject drugs, needle-stick injuries in health care settings, or being born to a pregnant person who has hepatitis C infection. Less commonly, a person can also get hepatitis C virus infection through sharing personal care items that may have come in contact with another person’s blood, such as razors or toothbrushes or having sexual contact with a person infected with the hepatitis C virus. 

                The only way to know if you have Hep-C is through testing. 

                Planned Parenthood of the Central Coast offers Hep-C testing with low cost options.

                PREP CONSULTATIONS

                Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is a prescription drug as a means of preventing HIV infection in an HIV-negative person) PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV when taken as prescribed.

                • PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%.
                • PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from injection drug use by at least 74%.


                If you are interested in a conversation about PrEP and whether it might be right for you, you can schedule a PrEP consultation with a qualified PrEP Navigator on our staff.

                Our PrEP consultations are confidential and include talking about ways that HIV might enter your life, your current HIV prevention strategies, and where PrEP may and may not fit in. Afterwards, the navigator will provide education about how PrEP works and its risks.

                If you are interested after our PrEP consultation, our navigator will connect you with providers and resources for you to reach out to, including programs that help people who don’t have insurance or can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs of PrEP.

                Want a FREE PrEP Navigation Consultation? Email our Health and Prevention Team!

                FREE SAFER SEX KITS

                Visit our SSP locations or our offices to pick up free Safer Sex Kits!

                 Items Offered:

                • External & Internal Condoms
                • Dental Dams
                • Lubricant