Testing is key to fighting HIV.
Following the publication of the HIV Commission report and recommendations for ending HIV transmission in England, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS has carried out an inquiry into how to increase and to normalise HIV testing in the UK.
The inquiry received submissions from over 30 organisations across the UK. Their evidence has allowed the APPG to build on the recommendations that the HIV Commission published on World AIDS Day last year.
In total we have several recommendations that the UK, Scottish, Northern Ireland and Welsh Governments can implement to ensure we end new transmissions of HIV by 2030.
We urge the Governments to adopt opt out HIV testing. This approach, which is also voluntary, considers HIV testing to be a standard part of medical care. Our other key recommendation is that the four Governments work together on a true National HIV Testing week. This would enable the message about testing to reach every corner of the UK.
The United Kingdom’s response to the HIV epidemic over the last four decades has been a success story. This is why any HIV Action plan adopted by the four nations must be ambitious and draw from the recommendations of this report and the HIV Commission.
Now is the time to turn political promises to concrete actions.
Stephen Doughty MP – Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group HIV and AIDS
“The message from the HIV sector and Public Health professionals is to ‘test, test, test’. Late diagnosis remains high. There are still far too many people living with undiagnosed HIV who are not going to be reached through existing testing strategies alone.
Everyone should know their HIV status, and there needs to be equitable and easy access for everyone to this knowledge, and the resulting effective treatment to ensure they can live a full and healthy life with undetectable HIV.
If we get this right, the four nations will not just have closed a chapter domestically on a four decade long pandemic but be a global leader in the fight against HIV.
If all the governments embrace the recommendations in this report, we are on the way to ensuring that we end new transmissions of HIV in the UK.”
Dr Laura Waters – Chair, British HIV Association
“We know that undiagnosed HIV is a major contributor to onward transmission and driver of late presentation, which in turn significantly increases the risk of death in the first year after diagnosis. We also know that HIV testing is reliable, cost-effective, and highly acceptable to patients across a range of services and settings.
The opportunity to eliminate new cases of a long-term condition is rare, yet we have the tools to do just that, now! We must grasp that opportunity and create a culture where failure to follow guidelines is considered wrong and HIV testing considered routine.”
Parminder Sekhon – Chief Executive Officer, NAZ
“The earlier someone is diagnosed with HIV, the sooner they can begin treatment. They get to stay well and the transmission on to others can be prevented. Yet four decades on, shame, stigma and fear are still driving late diagnosis of HIV in a way that is unacceptable and entirely preventable.
This report contains all the ingredients required to achieve zero HIV transmissions by 2030. It serves as a sobering reminder of the work that remains to be done if we are all to cross the finishing line together.
It is crucial that HIV and AIDS remains firmly on the agenda of the four Governments both domestically and internationally – who must be held to their promise to reach zero new infections by 2030. “
