HIV Prevention and Testing
HIV transmission can be prevented but the number of people living with HIV is increasing in every region of the world, including the UK. In 2005, 7450 people were diagnosed with HIV in the UK, almost three times the number diagnosed ten years before, and more gay men were diagnosed with HIV than ever before.
One in three people living with HIV in the UK don't know that they are infected and there is still stigma attached to being tested for HIV. People are also less aware of the risks of HIV transmission than they were ten years ago; a survey commissioned by the National AIDS Trust in 2005 found that one in five people didn't know that you can be infected with HIV through sex without a condom, the most common route of transmission in the UK.
The National AIDS Trust is campaigning for more investment and greater commitment to HIV prevention both in the UK and worldwide, and is working to increase awareness of HIV among people in the UK. The National AIDS Trust is also campaigning for ethical and appropriate testing to be more easily accessible.
HIV Prevention and Testing in the UK:
Greater investment in effective prevention programmes that target high-risk communities, and in particular gay men and black African communities, is needed to tackle the growing HIV epidemic in the UK. Testing also needs to be made more easily accessible to reduce the numbers of people living with HIV who are currently undiagnosed, which can harm their health and increase the chance they will pass the virus onto others. The National AIDS Trust is working with key stakeholders including NHS commissioners on improving HIV prevention and testing across the UK.
Read the National AIDS Trust's recommendations on improving HIV prevention and testing in England here.
More information and resources are available on our Prevention and Testing webpages.
Read our factsheet on HIV prevention.
Find out the facts about getting tested for HIV.
New Prevention Technologies:
New methods of HIV prevention, such as vaccines and microbicides, are urgently needed to stop the spread of HIV worldwide. This is a particular issue for women who are often unable to negotiate condom use or insist on abstinence. The National AIDS Trust is advocating for greater investment to accelerate the development of these new methods of prevention, which have the potential to save millions of lives worldwide. Read our New Prevention Technologies Annual Update 2007.
More information and resources are available on the New Prevention Technologies webpage.
The National AIDS Trust relies on donations, which enable us to carry out this important work. Find out how you can support us.
