HIV diagnoses in the UK have declined by 73 per cent in less than a decade
The number of gay and bisexual men who are living undiagnosed with HIV have also halved
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
HIV diagnoses in the UK have declined by 73 per cent since 2014.
According to new data by Public Health England (PHE), HIV transmissions have fallen by a dramatic decline, with rates reportedly falling by 73 per cent.
In 2014, there were around 2,300 HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men, this figure dropped to 800 in 2018.
The number of gay and bisexual men who are living undiagnosed with HIV have also halved during this time period from 7,000 in 2014 to 3,600 in 2018.
Today new stats from @PHE_uk show another fall in HIV diagnoses – but that progress is slowing.
That’s why we’re calling for a redoubling of efforts to ensure we reach our #ZeroHIV goal by 2030.
That includes proper public health funding and PrEP access! pic.twitter.com/epkcFd8jLk
— Terrence Higgins Trust (@THTorguk) January 16, 2020
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I feel very strongly that we must end HIV transmission.
“HIV has brought untold hurt and suffering to so many so it is encouraging to see transmissions continue to fall across the UK.
“We are well on our way towards our ambition of zero HIV transmissions by 2030 and we should be rightly proud of the incredible progress we have already made.”
Dr Noel Gill, head of sexually transmitted infections and HIV at PHE, added: “We are well on our way to reaching the goal of eliminating HIV transmission by 2030, with the rapid fall in HIV transmission continuing in 2018 and nearly all of those diagnosed receiving treatment that prevents onward transmission.
“Testing is a key part of the UK’s success. If you have HIV you can benefit from life-saving treatments that also prevent further transmission of the virus.
“Certain groups of people are at higher HIV risk and are advised to have regular tests, including men and women who have had unprotected sex with new or casual partners from countries where HIV is common, who should test every year, and men who have sex with men.”