Over 20,000 self-testing and self-sampling kits will be made available to help end HIV transmissions by the end of the decade. The packs are part of a public health campaign to end the virus transmissions in England by 2030 and has been backed by £1.5 million in government funding.
To mark National HIV Testing Week, the government has also announced it will extend the national HIV prevention programme - HIV Prevention England - by a year. The campaign, delivered by Terrence Higgins Trust and local partners, carries out vital work to increase testing for groups disproportionally affected by HIV and reduce stigma, as well as raise awareness of ways to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
The Prime Minister has given his backing by becoming the first ever serving leader of a G7 nation to take a self-testing HIV test on camera, demonstrating that getting a test is quick, easy, free and confidential.
After undertaking a test, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: "It is really important to do it, and I am pleased to have taken part too. It’s easy, it is quick, and during National HIV Testing Week you can get a test free - so it is a great time to also take part. If people test, they will know their status. It is better that people know and that is a good thing because you can then get treatment to help meet our target to end new HIV transmissions by 2030."
Speaking in the House of Commons, Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: "Getting tested for HIV is quick, free and confidential and I would like to pay tribute to the leadership of my Rt Hon friend the Prime Minister for becoming the first in history to take a HIV test, the first leader in the history of the G7 to take a HIV test. As a former member of the independent HIV commission, I’m determined that this government will deliver our commitment to end new transmissions of HIV in England by 2030 and we’ll set this out shortly in our new action plan."
It comes as polling by YouGov, on behalf of HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, has found that more than 80% of adults in England are unaware it is possible to test for HIV at home. However, when prompted as an option, at-home testing was the most popular way to know your HIV status, with 44% of people saying it would be their preference.
Since the introduction of self-testing kits, home testing has increased in popularity, especially among women and some ethnic minorities who are less likely to test through their local sexual health services. Tests can be ordered by anyone in England from Free Testing HIV to use at home.
The funding follows on from £27 million announced by the Prime Minister to extend the NHS England innovative opt-out HIV testing in emergency departments, announced ahead of World Aids Day. The move supports the government’s Plan for Change by ensuring people can get timely access to diagnostics and care if they need it, while supporting the shift from sickness to prevention. It precedes the new HIV action plan, which is expected later this year.
Speaking at the House of Commons, Public Health and Prevention Minister, Ashley Dalton, said: "Increasing HIV testing is a vital step towards meeting our goal and will be a core element of our new HIV action plan published later this year. That’s why we are investing over £4.5 million to deliver a national prevention programme. And that’s why, I can announce that we will extend the programme for a further year to March 2026, backed by an extra £1.5 million."
Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "National HIV Testing Week is an award-winning campaign and we are so pleased that it will be back next year. The continued success of this partnership between Terrence Higgins Trust and the Department of Health and Social Care delivers 25,000 HIV at-home tests across England and is crucial in our joint mission to end new HIV cases by 2030.
"England can be the first country in the world to end the epidemic, but we are not yet on track to do so. A new HIV action plan for England will turbo-charge those efforts. We are delighted that Sir Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting are leading from the front in this mission."
The UK Health Security Agency has published its community testing survey results today, which show that in 2023, testing in community settings - such as nightclubs, festivals and voluntary sector premises - increased by 7% compared to 2022.
The report also found nearly a quarter of all tests were reported among individuals being tested for HIV for the first time. It also highlights the impact of National HIV Testing Week, noting that there was a 22% increase in the number of tests carried out in this time compared to 2022.
