Welcome to New Start

New Start encourages couples to come in together for HIV counselling and testing. If you are planning on getting married or having children or even if you are already married, you owe it to yourself, your partner and your children to know each other's HIV status. Even if you know your own HIV status, you cannot assume that your partner has the same status. Many couples are afraid to even bring up the subject of going for counselling and testing. Here are a few tips on how to bring up the subject with your partner:

Remind your partner that your children's future depends on it.
Any couple considering having a baby should both be tested for HIV so that they can avoid transmitting HIV to the child. If you already have children, you owe it to your family to remain healthy so you can take care of them.

Focus on the positive aspects of knowing each other's status.
Whatever the result - HIV-positive or HIV-negative - learning your status, and learning early, will ensure you lead a healthier, longer life.

Focus on building the intimacy in your relationship.
It is important for couples to talk about all intimate issues, including HIV. Use a moment of intimate sharing to ask the question "Where are we now in terms of HIV and where do we go from here?" When you work as a team and there is intimacy in a relationship you can overcome many difficulties. Testing together as a couple also means that you will both know each others status and can support each other from the start no matter what the results.

Remind your partner that just because you tested negative does not mean your partner is also negative and vice versa.
Most people don't know that it is very common for one partner to be HIV-negative and the other to be HIV-positive. If you need advice about how to encourage your partner to come in for an HIV test with you feel free to ask your New Start counsellor for ideas on how to speak to your partner about receiving a joint HIV test. At New Start fixed sites couples pay the same as individuals would for an HIV test, only R25.

New Start centres are also open on Saturdays from 8am-2pm for couples convenience and no appointment is needed.