A new, free mail-delivered care kit from the county includes HIV testing kits, fentanyl test strips, and naloxone nasal spray kits.
The kits are an expansion of the Shelby County Health Department’s in-home HIV tests, launched in April 2025. The Know Your Status In-Home Self-Test program kits were sent to more than 3,000 in the county. Shelby County has one of the highest HIV case rates in the country. There were 312 new diagnoses of HIV here in 2024, according to federal data.
The new kits include overdose prevention items.
Strips can be used to test whether or not drugs contain traces of fentanyl. The drug is mixed with other drugs to increase their potency. Fentanyl is also a lead driver of overdose deaths in America, according to federal data.
The kits also include naloxone nasal spray kits. This medication can reverse opioid overdoses.
The new kits are delivered in the mail, come with instructions, and are discreetly packaged.
An included booklet has:
• HIV testing locations throughout Shelby County
• HIV treatment centers and clinical services
• Information about PrEP and PEP, medications that can help prevent HIV infection
• Guidance and resources for linkage to care
• Information to help individuals understand their HIV test results and identify appropriate next steps
• Harm-reduction information and resources related to fentanyl exposure, overdose prevention, and naloxone use
