{"id":35444,"date":"2013-11-21T09:30:03","date_gmt":"2013-11-21T09:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=6dfa8c137d448ece8d2d74566e78f6ec"},"modified":"2013-11-21T09:30:03","modified_gmt":"2013-11-21T09:30:03","slug":"press-release-phe-supporting-national-hiv-testing-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=35444","title":{"rendered":"Press release: PHE supporting National HIV Testing Week"},"content":{"rendered":"
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According to a new Public Health England (PHE<\/abbr>) report, published today (21 November) in the run up to National HIV<\/abbr> Testing Week, around a fifth (21,900) of people living with HIV<\/abbr> in the UK (98,400) are unaware of their infection, and need to be tested. Further, around half (47%) of the 6,360 people newly diagnosed with HIV<\/abbr> in 2012 were identified late. <\/p>\n

New HIV<\/abbr> diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM<\/abbr>) also reached an all-time high, with 3,250 cases in 2012.<\/p>\n

Between 2011 and 2012 a small decline in the proportion of people living with HIV<\/abbr> unaware was seen (25% to 22%), but this needs to be accelerated as early HIV<\/abbr> diagnosis and timely treatment can nowadays mean a near-normal lifespan. This is why National HIV<\/abbr> Testing Week (22 November to 29 November) is so important, raising awareness of the benefits of testing and encouraging the people most at risk, MSM<\/abbr> and black Africans, to get tested. <\/p>\n

Professor Kevin Fenton, PHE<\/abbr>\u2019s Health and Wellbeing Director, said:<\/p>\n

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National HIV<\/abbr> Testing Week is a great opportunity to alert people to the benefits of testing \u2013 for individuals and for the UK\u2019s public health. PHE<\/abbr> is urging members of the public, clinicians, commissioners and community leaders to support and engage with the campaign.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Professor Noel Gill, head of PHE<\/abbr>\u2019s HIV<\/abbr> and STI department, said:<\/p>\n

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In the UK, people who are unaware of their infection are likely to be those most at risk of transmitting HIV<\/abbr> to others. We must increase the speed at which we\u2019re reducing the number of undiagnosed HIV<\/abbr> infections by encouraging earlier and more frequent HIV<\/abbr> testing, especially by those most at-risk. Earlier diagnosis will help reduce new HIV<\/abbr> infections across the UK.<\/p>\n

Around half of men who have sex with men recently diagnosed with HIV<\/abbr> received their diagnosis the first time they tested, which is a strong indication that many men who should be testing are not. National HIV<\/abbr> Testing Week gives people a great opportunity to get tested.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

National guidelines recommend that HIV<\/abbr> testing should be offered routinely to everyone admitted to hospital and people registering with a GP<\/abbr> surgery in areas of the country with HIV<\/abbr> prevalence greater than 2 per 1000 people. Introducing additional ways to get tested, such as home-sampling services, is also encouraging more people to test. <\/p>\n

\nHIV<\/abbr> testing and safer sexual behaviour to reduce risk:<\/h3>\n