The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Centers for Disease Control (hereafter referred to as the CDC) states that September 4 is “World Sexual Health Day,” and the theme for this year (2026) is “Every Body,” calling for everyone to enjoy the right to sexual health. To encourage the public to proactively pay attention to their own health, the CDC announced a two‑week limited‑time promotion from September 4 to September 18 this year: the public can purchase HIV self‑test kits on the official self‑test website and have them delivered to a convenience store, receiving a “buy one, get one free” limited‑time offer, encouraging people to value personal sexual health while expressing romance and intimacy, practice safe sex, and develop regular testing habits.
According to monitoring data, although the domestic HIV epidemic has shown an overall declining trend in recent years, as of the end of July this year, 537 new HIV infections were reported, a 5% increase compared with the same period last year (512 cases). Eighty percent of infections are among individuals under 44 years old, while 20% are among those aged 45 and above. Epidemiological analysis indicates that the main source of infection remains unsafe sexual behavior. According to the three 95 targets set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the first 95 refers to the proportion of people living with HIV who know their status; Taiwan achieved a 93% rate in 2025, meaning that 7% (about two thousand) of infected individuals have not yet been tested or diagnosed. Because early symptoms of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are often mild or absent, they can be overlooked, delaying treatment. Therefore, regular testing and early protective measures are crucial for maintaining one’s own and a partner’s health.
To balance privacy and convenience, HIV self‑testing is simple and fast, allowing individuals to complete the test in the comfort of their own space. For this “buy one, get one” activity, the public only needs to visit the CDC’s HIV self‑test official website ( https://hiva.cdc.gov.tw/Selftest/ ), click “Online order for convenience‑store pickup,” add the “HIV self‑test kit (buy one, get one promotion)” to the cart, fill in the pickup store and order information, and pay only the cost of one kit plus shipping (total NT$245). They will receive two HIV self‑test kits (the free kit is provided randomly). After completing the test, users can upload the result online and receive a free electronic voucher for a test kit, which can be used personally or gifted to friends and family. The CDC adds that self‑test kits are preliminary screenings; if the preliminary result is positive, individuals should promptly visit a designated HIV medical facility for confirmatory testing, and the government will subsidize the registration fee and part of the cost for that visit. The existing free electronic vouchers for campuses and other groups remain in effect during the promotion period and are not affected, but they cannot be combined with the buy‑one‑get‑one offer.
The CDC points out that the most effective way to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is to practice safe sex, using condoms correctly throughout intercourse and pairing them with water‑based lubricant. In addition, the CDC urges the public to follow regular testing based on their personal “sexual behavior patterns”: anyone who has ever had sexual activity is recommended to undergo at least one HIV test; those who have engaged in unsafe sexual behavior should test at least once a year; individuals with risk behaviors (such as having a sexually transmitted infection, multiple partners, using injectable drugs, sharing needles or diluents, etc.) or whose partners have any of these conditions should test every three to six months. Modern HIV treatment advances mean that, with stable treatment, the viral load can be suppressed to undetectable levels, which not only controls the disease but scientific evidence also confirms that “undetectable = untransmittable (U=U)”.
Furthermore, to enhance the public’s knowledge of sexually transmitted disease prevention and improve testing accessibility, the CDC has been offering an “Anonymous STI Consultation Service” since July 2025, provided by 14 hospitals nationwide, offering one‑on‑one personalized anonymous consultations via phone, e‑mail, LINE@ and other channels, with all conversations strictly confidential to protect privacy. Additionally, 104 medical institutions across the country provide free anonymous rapid HIV testing consultation services. Related STI prevention resources—including anonymous chat, anonymous testing, self‑testing, designated HIV medical institutions, etc.—have been compiled into a “Sexual Health Friendly Resource Map” on the CDC’s Line@ platform, allowing the public to search for resources based on need and location. More information on HIV prevention can be found on the CDC’s global websitehttps://reurl.cc/eGbeMj) for inquiry or call the domestic toll‑free epidemic prevention line 1922 (or 0800‑001922) for questions
Data source: Taiwan CDC
Data compilation: Infection Control Office
