The Baabda Hospital offers FREE, VOLUNTARY, and ANONYMOUS testing to any individual who might be concerned about his/her HIV/AIDS status. In other words, you don't have to pay any money to get tested, you're under no obligation to get tested, and 'anonymous' means just that - you don't have to give your real name!

Why should I get tested?
Well if nothing else, if you have doubts about your HIV/AIDS status then this is the ideal opportunity to stop worrying when you test negative!

What if I test positive? What will I do then???
Good question. But, the fact is with HIV/AIDS, the sooner the virus is detected after it has entered your body, the more efficient anti-retroviral medication will be in controlling the growth of the virus and the more resistant your body will be in the longer-term. Also, with the wide range of anti-retroviral treatment now available, the sooner you test the quicker your doctor will be able to define which treatment works best for your body.

That's easy to say... but the financial cost of all of this?
Although the cost of treatment is quite high, there are some specialised N.G.Os who will contribute to the cost of treatment, with a few cases fully covered by the Ministry of Health. Negotiations are currently under way within the Ministry of Health for it to contribute even more to the cost of treatment, something aided by the fact that it recently secured a substantial discount on antiretroviral medication with a major pharmaceutical company.

... not to mention the personal cost of testing positive...

There will always be people there to help you if you do test positive. For example, S.I.D.C (Soins Infirmiers et Développement Communautaire, see below) and Caritas Liban are local, Lebanese N.G.Os which have many years of experience offering counseling and logistical support to those living with HIV/AIDS. There even exists a support network of Lebanese men and women living with HIV/AIDS to give each other moral and material support in times of need. So this just shows that even if you do test positive, you need never feel isolated. Never forget: you're the active and vital member of society you always were, so don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!

Either way, whether the result is negative of positive, you owe it to yourself to get tested.

Useful Contact Telephone Numbers:
Baabda Hospital: 05 920755/920040(1) ext 2020
Caritas Liban: 01 499767/483305
S.I.D.C: 01 482428, 485647
The Lebanese National AIDS Programme: 01 566100/1

Useful web links: (N.B. The views expressed in some of these web pages do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Helem)

The Terrence Higgins Trust website for gay men, for more advice on safe sex and healthy living.

The Body website for all the latest news and views on HIV/AIDS medication and anti-retroviral treatment. An 'ask the doctor' forum where there may be many answers to your questions on HIV/AIDS treatment etc. (but remember: there is no cure yet!):

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health National AIDS Programme