Government modernises HIV rules in line with current evidence

The Department of Health has modernised its HIV protection laws in order to help ensure that people are diagnosed earlier.

Under the new changes, people will be able to buy HIV self-testing kits that comply with regulations, giving patients more choice on how to get tested, thereby ensuring they can get treatment earlier.

Meanwhile, doctors and medical professionals who are undergoing treatment for HIV will be able to take part in certain medical procedures from which they are currently banned, bringing the UK in line with most other Western countries.

This updates outdated rules that were set in place in the 1980s, when attitudes were different and the scientific evidence was less developed.

Public health minister Anna Soubry said: "We want to make it even easier for people to test themselves as early as possible and get the best treatment available."

At the end of 2010, an estimated 91,500 people in the UK were living with HIV, with one in four failing to realise they are infected.