The British HIV Association has today published data from its latest report into HIV testing and diagnosis in the UK, and they’re important reading for anyone interested in improving the HIV situation in this country.
In particular, their findings on HIV detection in hospitals are key to understanding why increasing testing and reducing the obstacles to testing are so important:
Overall, 25 per cent of patients missed an opportunity for their HIV infection to be detected earlier because they were not offered an HIV test, despite being seen by an NHS health professional in the years prior to their diagnosis.
The number of people living with HIV in the UK is expected to exceed 100,000 this year, and late diagnosis of the condition has been acknowledged by senior health experts as a growing problem. People diagnosed with more advanced HIV have a tenfold increased risk of death in the first year after they are diagnosed when compared to those diagnosed with earlier stages of infection according to the Government’s Health Protection Agency.
You can – and should! – read the full story by clicking here. At Saving Lives, we’re dedicated to improving HIV detection in hospitals, by encouraging doctors and patients alike to understand HIV better, reject stigma, and take the test.
