Newstart-Johannesburg

HIV counselling and testing (HCT) service; combination HIV prevention programme; TB and circumcision services; community health outreach; NPO; not a GBV crisis service per se — but a critical GBV-adjacent service (all rape/sexual assault survivors require immediate HIV testing and PEP assessment) **1. HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT)** Newstart offers multiple modalities of HIV testing to suit different circumstances: - **Individual HCT** — walk-in at Newstart testing centres; private counselling + rapid test; results in 15–20 minutes - **Couples HCT** — two people in a relationship come together to get tested, share their results, and discuss with a counsellor - **Mobile tent testing** — Newstart pitches mobile testing tents in communities; also provides door-to-door HCT - Rapid test methodology (finger prick; 15–20 minutes) **2. CD4 count testing** — entry point to antiretroviral care for people who test HIV-positive **3. TB (tuberculosis) sputum sample collection** — co-testing for TB (which is highly co-morbid with HIV in South Africa) **4. Referrals to medical male circumcision (MMC)** — a proven HIV prevention intervention **5. Referrals to health and social services** — comprehensive referral network for further care based on individual/family needs **GBV-specific relevance — critical note for survivors:** Newstart's own website explicitly addresses the GBV/rape-HIV intersection: - **If you have been raped, you should be tested as soon as possible for HIV.** If you test HIV-negative, you should immediately be given ARV medication (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis / PEP) to reduce the chances of becoming infected as a result of the rape. PEP must be started within 72 hours — ideally as soon as possible. - Newstart can provide this HIV test and PEP referral for rape survivors. - Newstart also specifically addresses pregnant women and women planning pregnancies who need to know their HIV status. The ideal first port of call for HIV testing and PEP is the nearest **Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC)** (24/7, co-located at hospitals, provides PEP directly on-site). Newstart's Jeppe Street centre complements the TCC network for community-based testing outside crisis contexts, and for survivors who do not go via the TCC route. **Nearby TCCs for immediate PEP (Johannesburg):** - **Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital TCC** — 7 York Road, Parktown (24/7 Casualty) - **Helen Joseph Hospital** — White City, Auckland Park (24/7) - **Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital** — Soweto (24/7) - **GBV Command Centre** — 0800 428 428 (toll-free, 24/7)