National HIV Testing Week launches in Greater Manchester

National HIV Testing Week kicked off on Monday 1 February across Greater Manchester with a focus on HIV testing at home.

The PaSH Partnership (BHA for Equality, LGBT Foundation and George House Trust) are raising awareness of HIV testing and treatment in the fight against stigma with a range of online events and services designed to generate conversations about HIV.

In Greater Manchester, 43.8% of HIV diagnoses come at a late stage, which is associated with greater risks to health. It is estimated that 745 people in Greater Manchester are unaware that they are living with HIV. It is recommended that people with multiple sexual partners get tested every three to six months and people with one partner should test once a year.

Taking a test is the only way to know if you have HIV, and modern HIV treatment will stop you from getting seriously ill, enable you to live a normal life, and prevent you from passing the virus on to anyone else. 

PrEP – Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis – is taken by a person who doesn’t have HIV, to reduce risk of infection. Conversely, PEP – Post-Exposure Prophylaxis – is a strong combination of HIV medicines which can help stop you getting HIV after potentially being exposed to it.

National HIV Testing Week, which runs from Monday 1 February to Friday 7 February is coordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust on behalf of HIV Prevention England (HPE). 

The week encourages everybody to have a free, quick and confidential HIV test, particularly those in groups most affected by HIV, including gay and bisexual men and black African men and women. However, HIV doesn’t discriminate, and can affect anybody.

Lauren Duffy, Sexual Health Lead at LGBT Foundation, said: “Lockdown means that National HIV Testing Week 2021 will look a little different to previous years, but that doesn’t mean it’s harder to get tested. This year we’re encouraging everybody to get tested from the comfort of their own homes, by ordering a HIV self-sampling kit online.” 

Elisabete Miranda, HIV Testing Lead at BHA, said: “Testing from home is the safest option this year. You can order a free HIV test straight to your door, with instructions on how to take a small blood sample yourself. Getting tested regularly is the only way to know your status.”

Recent media attention has focused on the hugely popular Russell T. Davies Channel 4 drama ‘It’s a Sin’, starring Olly Alexander, Neil Patrick Harris, and Stephen Fry.
 

Read more: Channel Four drama which filmed scenes in Norden airsPublished: 26 January 2021

The drama focuses on the HIV epidemic’s arrival in the UK in the 1980s. Since the 1980s, HIV has changed, and new treatments and prevention options, along with support offered by PaSH to fight HIV stigma, are benefiting communities across Greater Manchester.

Colin Armstead, Services Director at George House Trust, said: “If you test positive, effective treatment means you can live as long as anyone else, and when the amount of the virus in your blood is reduced to undetectable levels, this means you cannot pass on HIV. Testing puts you in control and isn’t something to be afraid of.”

Sarah Price, Interim Chief Officer at the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, which has invested £1.3 million in a programme, based around combining HIV prevention methods, including HIV testing, in the final push to end all new transmissions of HIV, said: “Despite real progress, too few people are testing regularly for HIV but the sooner you find out whether you have HIV, the better it is for your health.

“The free self-sampling test kits are convenient and safe to administer at home and put you in control of your health. I would really encourage people to order a kit, it’s never been easier to get tested.”

Since the virus was identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV-related illnesses. Nearly 37 million people are living with HIV today with over 101,000 of those in the UK, but, despite huge medical advances in treatment, HIV remains a highly stigmatised medical condition.

Testing has never been more accessible. You can now order a home HIV testing kit which just involves a quick finger prick and then needs posting back to the lab. You will usually receive your results two-three weeks.

Free online home testing kits are available to all Greater Manchester residents at:

• https://freetesting.hiv/