World Aids Day: How has HIV testing evolved over the last 40 years?

40 years after the first reported AIDS-related deaths in the UK signalled the start of an epidemic which has gone on to kill millions globally, new data released to mark World AIDS Day (1 December) shows public attitudes to HIV testing are very different to those in the 1980s.

Back then, a HIV diagnosis was a terminal one and hysteria was rife, but four decades of medical progress have transformed what it means to live with HIV.

The polling of over 2,000 UK adults - released by charity Terrence Higgins Trust - found just 8% would refuse a HIV test if they were being offered to everyone else. While 81% of people would feel comfortable being tested for HIV when having another routine blood test.

The charity is calling for a move to opt-out HIV testing where everyone is offered a test as standard to drive up rates and give the country a chance of achieving the Government's target of ending new HIV cases by 2030.

It's hoped this approach will also help HIV to be seen more like any other health condition rather than being offered a HIV test feeling like a moral judgement by healthcare professionals or because of your sexuality or ethnicity. Pilots in A&E departments in south London show this to be true.

The vast majority (75%) also said they would feel comfortable being tested for HIV at their GP - a familiar and private setting - but this is not currently routinely offered by family doctors. 

The latest data shows that HIV diagnoses fell by 18% among gay and bisexual men and 15% fall in black African heterosexuals, which are two of the groups most impacted by HIV and targeted for testing. This compares to just a 4% fall among women and 6 per cent drop in heterosexual men.

Similarly, black heterosexual men (52%) and those aged 65 and over (59%) who are diagnosed are most likely to be diagnosed late and experience worse health outcomes as a result - driven by a reluctance to test and belief they are not at risk of HIV.

That's why Terrence Higgins Trust is calling for the move to opt-out HIV testing where everyone is offered a test in A&Es, GPs and whenever the NHS is taking blood - rather than focusing on particular groups or behaviours - as a key part of efforts to end new HIV cases across all populations by the end of the decade. With the new data showing the public is overwhelmingly comfortable with getting tested for HIV.

If you would like any support, advice or information about HIV, you can call Terrence Higgins Trust Direct on 0808 802 1221 or email them at info@tht.org.uk

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