Free sexual health test vending machines launched

The machines will offer rapid HIV testing for the first time

New vending machines offering free sexual health testing kits have been placed at venues in North Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

The machines will provide tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis.

Unity Sexual Health, which is providing the service, says it will make testing easier to access.

It said the area has a higher late rate of HIV diagnoses, and higher numbers of people being diagnosed with syphilis.

The machines are located at the following places:

• Watershed, Bristol

• Hamilton House, Bristol

• Sovereign Shopping Centre, Weston-super-Mare

• Willow Brook Shopping Centre, Bradley Stoke

The tests are designed to be done at home and posted, for free, into the Unity Sexual Health laboratory in Bristol.

Users have to answer six questions, and enter a code sent to their phone into the vending machine to access the tests.

For the first time, the machines will allow a 20-minute HIV diagnosis using a mouth swab - the usual method involves a blood test which is sent away by post and can take time to process.

'Targeting unrepresented communities'

Sarah Stockwell, lead clinician from Unity Sexual Health, said: "It is important that people know we do have a free postal kit service online, with 1,000 a week ordered, but stigma and lack of internet access can be an obstacle.

"We wanted to target young people, men who have sex with men, and local African and Caribbean heritage communities because we believe they may be under-represented in our clinics."

"We hope that this project will go some way to reducing the number of ongoing infections.

"Helping communities that find it difficult to access services through traditional channels such as sexual health clinics is a particularly important goal for us."