The OptTEST legal & regulatory barriers toolkit is of use to anyone who wants to dismantle such barriers in their own country. The toolkit takes a 'pick and mix' approach, enabling users to take what they need without wading through an enormous pdf. A series of case studies illustrates how activists, clinicians and other alliances took down specific barriers to HIV testing and treatment in their countries. Tip sheets show how to go about implementing these ideas, or your own, within your country setting. Slide sets support presentations about the importance of identifying and mitigating barriers, to enable alliances and discussion. Each piece of the toolkit is separately downloadable and the ideas within them adaptable to differing country circumstances and the original materials are accompanied by a critical reading list which points the reader to many more existing resources online, with short explanations of their usefulness.

Overview on legal and regulatory barriers 

• Barring the way to health - Legal and regulatory barriers in 53 European countries

Want to know what legal and regulatory barriers your country, or others in Europe, are putting in the way of better HIV testing and treatment? Barring The Way To Health is a new searchable database which outlines a range of impediments to key populations and others with HIV who seek testing and access to care across the 53 countries of Europe and Central Asia. You can pull out a particular issue that concerns you across Europe, or read about a particular country. You can comment and offer amendments - and if your country is one of the small minority not yet covered, we welcome your information on it.

• Literature review on legal and regulatory barriers to testing
• Tip sheet: Common legal and regulatory barriers and how they restrict access
• Tip sheet: Identifying and proving local barriers to testing and treatment access
• Tip sheet: The new testing strategies and where are they working - In Russian.

Challenging and changing regulatory restrictions to testing

• Case study: Organising a Europe-wide coalition to raise the profile of HIV testing (European HIV Testing Week)
• Case study: Meeting the challenge of restrictive testing regulations in the Ukraine
• Case study: Establishing a community testing facility in a regulatory restricted environment in Slovenia

See also a Policy briefing on scaling up early diagnosis for HIV through diversifying HIV testing approaches beyond clinical settings here. 

Challenging and changing legal and regulatory barriers

• Repealing it: Challenging criminal law on HIV transmission/exposure (Denmark)
• Reforming it: Challenging criminal law on HIV transmission/exposure (Netherlands)
• Mitigating it: Challenging criminal law on HIV transmission/exposure (England & Wales)
• Removing sex work regulations (Greece)
• Changing drug laws to prioritise public health (Portugal)

Challenging and changing barriers to prevention and treatment

• Getting free & equal HIV treatment for undocumented migrants (England) - In French; Spanish
• Gaining access to PrEP (France)

Tips for advocacy for legal and regulatory changes ('how to' guides)

1. Simple principles for effective campaigning.
2. Constructing and comparing your continuum of care - In Russian.
3. How to do a simple, quick, low cost survey of an issue?
4. Getting the evidence for policy changes - In Russian.
5. Building alliances between community, clinicians and public health.
6. Presenting the case to decision-makers and politicians - In Russian. 
7. Influencing at conferences and other events.
8. Preparing for a meeting with a Government Minister or high level official - In Russian.
9. What can we do when politicians ignore the evidence? - In Russian.

Key documents and web resources in arguing for improving or removing laws & regulations which hinder access to HIV testing and/or treatment.