Public Health England outlines National HIV Testing Week support

People across the country are being called upon by Public Health England to engage with National HIV Testing Week, which takes place from November 22nd to 29th 2013.

Organised by the Terrence Higgins Trust, the week aims to increase the numbers of gay men and African people taking an HIV test by offering more opportunities to do so in clinics and in the community, while generally raising awareness of the importance of HIV testing.

Public Health England is supporting the campaign by highlighting figures showing that around one-fifth of the 98,400 people living with HIV in the UK are unaware of their infection, while 47 percent of the 6,360 people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2012 were identified late.

New HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men also reached an all-time high last year, with 3,250 cases coming to light.

Professor Kevin Fenton, Public Health England's health and wellbeing director, said: "National HIV Testing Week is a great opportunity to alert people to the benefits of testing – for individuals and for the UK's public health."