HIV Testing and PrEP: A Plain-Language Guide for Grand Rapids

HIV Testing and PrEP in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Whether you live near downtown, along the Grand River, or out toward the Lake Michigan shoreline, knowing your HIV status and your prevention options is a normal part of taking care of your health. HIV testing is quick and routine, and a medicine called PrEP can dramatically lower the chance of getting HIV for people who are HIV-negative. Local systems like Corewell Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, University of Michigan Health-West, and Cherry Health, along with the Kent County Health Department, can help you get tested and talk through whether PrEP is right for you.

What HIV Is

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the body’s immune system. If it is not treated, it can lead to AIDS. There is no effective cure, but with proper medical care HIV can be controlled, and people who are diagnosed can stay healthy.

HIV spreads mainly through certain body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal and rectal fluids, and breast milk. The most common ways it spreads are:

• Anal or vaginal sex without a condom
• Sharing injection drug equipment such as needles and syringes

Knowing how HIV does and does not spread helps you make clear decisions about testing and prevention.

Who Should Get Tested, and How Often

Testing is the only way to know your HIV status. The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. You can ask for this at a regular check-up with your Grand Rapids primary care provider.

Some people benefit from testing more often. The CDC recommends testing at least once a year for people with ongoing risk factors, including:

• Men who have sex with men
• People who share injection equipment
• People with multiple sex partners
• People with a partner who has HIV

Sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from more frequent testing, for example every 3 to 6 months.

The CDC also recommends HIV testing during each pregnancy. Diagnosing and treating HIV during pregnancy is a highly effective way to prevent passing HIV to the baby, so this is a standard part of prenatal care.

The Three Types of HIV Tests

There are three types of HIV tests:

• Antibody tests
• Antigen/antibody tests
• Nucleic acid tests (NAT)

After a possible exposure, there is a window period before a test can detect HIV. Because of this, no test can detect HIV immediately. If you may have been exposed recently, your provider may recommend retesting later to be sure of your result. Cherry Health and the Kent County Health Department are good local starting points if you need testing or have questions about timing.

What PrEP Is

PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It is medicine taken by people who do not have HIV to reduce their chance of getting it. PrEP comes as daily oral pills or as long-acting injections.

When taken as prescribed, PrEP is very effective:

• It reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%.
• Oral PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from injection drug use by at least 74%.

FDA-approved PrEP options include:

• Daily oral pills: emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (such as Truvada and generics) and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (Descovy)
• Injectable cabotegravir, given every 2 months
• Injectable lenacapavir, given every 6 months

Should You Consider PrEP?

It is worth talking to a health care provider about PrEP if you:

• Have sex without consistent condom use
• Have a partner with HIV or of unknown status
• Have had a recent sexually transmitted infection (STI)
• Share injection drug equipment

PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections, so using condoms remains important. Starting PrEP also requires an HIV-negative test first, plus ongoing follow-up visits and regular HIV testing while you stay on it. A provider at Corewell Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, University of Michigan Health-West, or Cherry Health can walk you through which option fits your life.

Taking the Next Step

Getting tested and asking about PrEP are everyday parts of staying healthy. You do not need a special reason to ask. If you also need support with substance use or mental health, Network180 is a local resource here in Kent County, and you can call or text 988 anytime for a mental-health crisis. For any medical emergency, call 911.

Cold Michigan winters can make it tempting to put off a check-up, but a single appointment is enough to get your questions answered and a plan in place. Reach out to a local provider to schedule testing or discuss prevention.