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By Tino Largado The threat of COVID-19 still looms, and we’re all encouraged to stay indoors as much as possible. This, of course, doesn’t mean LoveYourself’s commitment to provide private and confidential HIV testing services have to be affected. LoveYourself Community Centers continue to operate amidst the community quarantine restrictions and challenges of the pandemic. But adapting to the situation means providing more innovative options to our clients. One of which is SelfCare . Officially launching this October is SelfCare, the first ever unassisted self-testing service in the country. Initially opened in a limited capacity back in April 2020, SelfCare now caters to clients who would like to know their HIV status quickly, safely, and securely in the comfort of their home. Mainly aimed at addressing client’s concerns about privacy, convenience, and availability, the timing of SelfCare couldn’t be any more perfect particularly at a time when pandemic restrictions are in place. Gett...

By LoveYourself Communications MANDALUYONG CITY - LoveYourself Anglo was certified as a Rapid HIV Diagnostic Algorithm (rHIVda) Confirmatory Laboratory on June 30, 2020. Certified by the Department of Health (DOH), the community center’s diagnostic laboratory is equipped to conduct confirmatory testing without the need to send samples to the National Reference Laboratory-San Lazaro Hospital-STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (NRL-SLH/SACCL) for reactive cases. “I would like to express my gratitude to our hardworking laboratory and community well-being team for making this happen. Hopefully more Filipinos are able to access their treatment more efficiently with this system shift.” said Ronivin Pagtakhan, LoveYourself Executive Director. The Health Technology Assessment Study Group of the Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau of the DOH changed the diagnostic algorithm of HIV in the country. This was mainly due to the need to respond to the exponential increase in HIV infec...

By: Ryan Taborada Restricted mobility in Cebu City due to imposed lockdowns has posed a real challenge for its residents who continually need to avail of HIV-related services by LoveYourself White House. Knowing that testing and access to medication is critical to combat the spread of HIV, LoveYourself continues to open its door to anyone who needs its services. Except on holidays, LoveYourself White House remains open from Wednesdays through Sundays, with temporarily reduced service hours of 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., cut-off time at 4 p.m. Starting on May 20, 2020, the center will operate from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 6 p.m. cut-off time. Its return to its regular hours of 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. will be announced once this becomes viable.  To keep the in-person antiretroviral (ARV) refill uninterrupted for those undergoing treatment, LoveYourself has recently activated the Xpress Refill program. They may now receive ARV refill via delivery by registering here: go.loveyourself.ph/xpressrefill . “...

By LoveYourself Communications MANDALUYONG CITY (March 20, 2020) – The LoveYourself, Inc., a community-based non-profit primary health care facility for people living with HIV (PLHIV), appeals for the support of the government for the continued and uninterrupted access of PLHIV to anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. Primarily, LoveYourself asks for the help of concerned national agencies, the local government units, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure smooth delivery of health services to the PLHIV community. The organization understands the government's precautions, and fully abide with the directives of the Department of Health (DOH) to help contain the spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the continued delivery of its services is crucial in addressing another kind of pandemic, which is HIV. LoveYourself Executive Director Ronivin Pagtakhan explained that "People living with...

By Carlos Diego A. Rozul On LoveYourself’s eighth year of service, the year 2019 has been one of its most eventful years thus far. Not only has its pool of volunteers been growing, but the organization has been expanding its reach and improving its services. Keeping with this growing opportunities, volunteers were enriched with special trainings addressing critical organizational affairs. New programs and projects were also launched as a result of the hard work and dedication of its volunteers and staff. With everything that has happened, let us remember 2019 as the year it was. Programs and Projects LoveYourself, as a loving community of HIV awareness advocates, is most known for its free HIV testing and treatment services. As of December 2019, LoveYourself across its community centers, Platinum Testing Service , and offsite events has done 38,549 tests, enabling clients to take charge of the sexual health with timely HIV testing , and treatment if they turned out reactive to the test...

By Tino Largado The country’s top stage performers are taking on the role of HIV awareness ambassadors as the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) team up with LoveYourself for this year’s #KYSandPlay National HIV Testing Day happening at up to 19 different locations nationwide on November 23, 2019.  Our theater stars-turned-advocates take time off rehearsals and performances to promote and campaign the importance of testing and knowing one’s status as a solid step in fighting HIV and the stigma surrounding it. Before the you know your status, let’s get to know them and learn about what they have to say regarding this important cause. Not a One-Night Show For theater actors Eko Baquial, Topper Fabregas, Cheeno Uy Macaraig, and Jimi Marquez, HIV testing must be regular and consistent, never a one-time thing. “I started when I was young… At an early age, we were told to have ourselves tested,” said Eko, who recalls how his involvement with PETA’s Metropolitan Teen Theat...

B y Ronald C. Bugarin The hottest nurses from all over the Philippines gather together for National HIV Testing Day themed Hot Nurses of Pinas on June 15, 2019 from 11:00am to 7:00pm. LoveYourself has partnered with more than eleven (11) Community Based Organizations (CBOs) nationwide for you to experience private, secure, and accurate HIV testing in a fraction of the time and have a chance to get pricked with some of the Hot Nurses in the country. Sign up now for a fast, free and anonymous HIV screening. Hot Nurses of Pinas marks the seventh community-led multi-site HIV testing event held by LoveYourself, beginning with Incognito in May 2016. These events are the organization’s efforts to make HIV screening easier and more accessible to more people, especially now that LoveYourself has partnered with other CBO’s in the nation.  This initiative is one of LoveYourself’s many efforts to halt the growing number of HIV cases in the country by promoting timely HIV testing as a...

by Ronald Bugarin (Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aidsgov/3008911718/in/photostream/ ) On 20 December 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act (RA) No. 11166 otherwise known as the “Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act” which repeals RA No. 8504 or the “Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998.” Among the revisions made in the new law is that minors aged 15 to below 18 years old can now be tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) without parental  / guardian consent. Under Article IV, Section 29 of the new law, “ If the person is fifteen (15) to below eighteen (18) years of age, consent to voluntary HIV testing shall be obtained from the child without the need of consent from a parent or guardian.” It also states that “any young person aged below fifteen (15) who is pregnant or engaged in high-risk behavior shall be eligible for HIV testing and counseling with the assistance of a licensed social worker or health worker. Consent to volu...