The UK has lifted a ban on home HIV tests, allowing people to test themselves at home and read the results themselves. Previously people in the UK were able to test themselves at home but had to send the test off to a laboratory to receive the result at a later date.
No home testing kits that pass European guidelines have yet been developed, but British charity Terence Higgins Trust said the tests could be introduced into the UK this year or in early 2015.
Experts are hopeful that the change in legislation will reduce transmission rates by making it easier and more discreet to get tested.
According to figures released in November 2013 by Public Health England, the transmission rate between men who have sex with men (MSM) is at an all time high in England. 18% of HIV positive MSM in England are unaware of their infection.
Michael Brady, the medical director at Terence Higgins Trust had this to say: ““We welcome this change in the law, which will give people another choice about how and where they test for HIV. The success of our HIV postal testing scheme has shown that many people who have never tested before, or who have been putting off a visit to the clinic, are willing to test at home. With HIV transmission in the UK largely driven by the 22,000 people who remain undiagnosed, anything that provides them with another option to test and access effective treatment is welcome.
“It is vital that HIV self-testing kits offer high quality information, including how to obtain practical and emotional support and how to quickly access specialist HIV services. We will be working closely with manufacturers to ensure that any kit that comes to market meets the very best standards of patient information.”
According to Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of the National AIDs Trust, one in five HIV positive people in the UK are unaware of their infection, and over half are diagnosed late, meaning they have had HIV for at least four years prior to diagnosis.
“Being diagnosed late means you are more likely to get ill and more likely to unwittingly pass the virus on to sexual partners.”
Sophie Joske
