National HIV Testing Week: making it easier to get tested

17 November, 2014

There are 98,000 people living with HIV in the UK; in Hull, 1.15 in every 1,000 people aged 15 to 59 have been diagnosed with HIV. In the East Riding of Yorkshire, this number drops to 0.45 per 1,000 of the population, but these figures do not include the 30% of people who are living undiagnosed with HIV.

HIV Testing Week is from 21to 28 November and its goals are to increase awareness of the benefits of HIV testing, make more people aware of their HIV status and reduce late diagnosis by telling people about the benefits of HIV testing.

To support this, Conifer, the sexual health service for Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire run by City Health Care Partnership CIC, will be working with partners to raise awareness of the benefits of early HIV testing and how easy it is to take a test. Conifer will also be increasing the number of venues across Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire where testing is available, meaning people wanting a test don’t need to come into a sexual health clinic. For a list of venues, go to www.luvhull.co.uk/hiv-syphilis-testing.

The options will be to take an HIV test which can provide an instant result, or to do a self test, an online test or have a regular HIV test.

By the end of 2011, in the World Health Organisation’s Europe region it is estimated that around 2.3 million people were living with HIV. Between 30% and 50% of those living with HIV in Europe are unaware of their status (in the UK the figure is 30%, increasing to 50% in Poland and Latvia) with 50% of those diagnosed late, delaying access to treatment (www.hivtestingweek.eu, 2014).

Between 2011 and 2013, 45.2% of those who were newly-diagnosed aged 15 and over in Hull were diagnosed late, similar to the national average. This figure rises to 55% in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

A significant increase in diagnosis of HIV was noted between April 2012 and September 2012 across Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire. 11 new cases were diagnosed, with 7 being reported within a three month period from July – September 2012. Although small in absolute number, the trend is alarming as the service had not seen such significant number of cases in such a short period before.

ADVICE

Public Health England advise that a HIV test should be undertaken annually or every three months if you continue to be at risk. HIV may not cause any symptoms and the only way to be sure of your status is to get tested.

FACTS ABOUT HIV

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. In most cases, the virus attacks the immune system (CD4 cells) and weakens your ability to fight infections and disease, a person with HIV is at risk of developing serious infections, which a healthy immune system would normally fight off
When a person with HIV develops certain illnesses and cancers, they are said to have developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection, when, without treatment, your body has difficulty fighting life-threatening infections
There is no cure for HIV, but there are treatments to enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life
HIV is transmitted through contact with blood, genital fluids and breast milk
The main routes of transmission are through unprotected sex and by sharing injecting equipment.

For most people, being diagnosed with HIV is a life-changing experience and it is likely to have emotional and practical implications. At the time it may not feel like it is, but it is always better to know.

By learning you are living with HIV you are in the best position to look after your health, including accessing timely HIV treatment and care. With the treatments available today someone with HIV can live healthily for a long time, especially if they have been diagnosed early. Treatment can also reduce the likelihood of you giving HIV to other people.