Record numbers living in the UK with HIV

A study from 2010 showed that over a quarter of those infected with HIV were unaware that they had it.  The findings concluded that a wider availability of testing was required to reduce both heterosexual and gay transmissions.

In fact, the heterosexual figure almost doubled between 2003-2007, with the overall number doubling in the past ten years.  At the end of 2010, there were an estimated 91,500 people with HIV in the UK, up from 86,500 the previous year.  The current estimation is around 100,000.

Kensington and Chelsea was the fourth highest primary care trust in England where the prevalence of diagnosed HIV infection exceeded two adults per 1,000 population, with Hammersmith and Fulham coming sixth.

Dr Valerie Delpech, Head of HIV surveillance at the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Infections, said, “It is very worrying that so many people remain unaware of their HIV status. Wider HIV testing in high prevalence areas of the UK is urgently needed to reduce the number of undiagnosed infections.”

For a quick and discreet HIV test, please ring Kapff Medical on 0207 349 1499

Table 1. Primary care trusts in England where the prevalence of diagnosed HIV infection exceeded two adults per 1,000 population (aged 15-59 years) in 2007.

* Office for National Statistics population estimates for local/unitary authorities aggregated where appropriate to match primary care trust boundaries.
† Numbers accessing care, population estimates and diagnosed HIV prevalence in the City of London UA were 45, 5,700 and 7.89 per 1,000, and in Hackney UA were 1,087, 141,400 and 7.69 per 1,000.
‡ Numbers accessing care, population estimates and diagnosed HIV prevalence in the Sutton UA were 208, 116,000 and 1.79 per 1,000, and in Merton UA were 411, 133,700 and 3.07 per 1,000.
§ Numbers accessing care, population estimates and diagnosed HIV prevalence in the Bournemouth LA were 257, 98,500 and 2.61 per 1,000, and in Poole LA were 97, 77,800 and 1.25 per 1,000.
¶ Office for National Statistics 2006 population estimate for Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT.