COVID-19 Information, Updates & Resources

Testing services

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and alert level restrictions, there are changes across a number of services:

• NZAF's Burnett (Auckland), Āwhina (Wellington) & Te Toḵa (Christchurch) testing centres are open for booked appointments only. Head to our test-booking tool to find an appointment that works for you. There are currently no Drop-In services available, please make sure to book a test in advance.
• You can still order an HIV self-test that you can do at home - please bear in mind COVID-19 may affect delivery times.
• Sexual health clinics will have different operating capacities depending on where in the country you are - please call or email ahead to discuss your situation and how you can access services.
• You can also contact your local GP / family doctor to request HIV or STI testing, if you have any concerns. It's still a good idea to call or email ahead.

Counselling & Mental Health

NZAF will continue to offer counselling services. Remote or face-to-face counselling services are able to be requested - our remote sessions can be held via phone or video. Head to the counselling booking form to get in touch.

Also, check out this article for advice on how to look after your anxiety during this time.

Offices

NZAF's offices are open - Please note, contact tracing and physical distancing processes will be in place to ensure the safety of staff and visitors - have your smart device ready to check-in digitally.

COVID-19 and people living with HIV

Over at NZAF they also monitoring the latest understandings and medical advice on how COVID-19 might affect people living with HIV - read more here.

Sex

As of midday Friday the 12th of March 2021, New Zealand is in Alert Level 1 for COVID-19.

While COVID-19 isn't a sexually transmitted infection, being in close personal contact with another person is one of the highest risk behaviours for this virus. When you add in shared bodily fluids, it's even higher risk and isn't recommended during Alert Levels 3 & 4. It's important to test for HIV and other STIs before rejoining your sexual networks after the stricter Alert Levels.

To help make things more clear, we’ve put together our top 5 tips for playing safe in this unprecedented time. We can’t pick and choose with these if we want to stamp out COVID - everyone needs to take action in all of these areas!

Also, if you can still keep things digital and want advice - read our blogs Top Tips For Tasteful Nudes and Love In The Time of COVID-19 for how to get your rocks off and still maintain physical distancing!  

A silver lining of the dark cloud of COVID-19 is that it presents us with an incredible opportunity to actually break the chain of transmission for other viruses - like, say, HIV! Read more here to find out what we should be doing before we're let back out into the world and the "arms" of future sexual partners.

PrEP

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and Alert Level restrictions, it may impact your ability to get PrEP at this time.

• Contact your local sexual health clinics to see if they are available for PrEP appointments - call or email ahead to discuss your situation.
• You can also contact your local GP / family doctor to request PrEP

Note on discontinuing PrEP: For cisgender men who have sex with men, PrEP can be safely discontinued by taking the tablets for two consecutive days (48 hours) after your last condomless sex – it doesn’t matter if you take it daily or on-demand (2-1-1). If you are not a cisgender man who has sex with man, the current guidelines recommend to continue taking PrEP for 28 days since your last condomless sex before it can be discontinued. It is important to remember that HIV testing needs to be done prior to restarting PrEP. 

Staying Connected

If you're looking for general tips and tricks for keeping in touch and having some fun while you're at it - check out this blog about some virtual ways to socialise with your circle while we physically isolate. 

Read the blog Top Tips For Tasteful Nudes for tips for sending nudes while in lockdown.