HIV Infection
(asked on 22nd January 2024) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of those requesting an HIV testing kit during National HIV Testing Week tested positive in each of the years 2020 to 2023 inclusive.
During the period between 1 and 7 February 2021, 19,342 HIV testing kits were dispatched, and 84 were reactive. The following table shows, using the data currently available, the number of HIV testing kits that were ordered and dispatched for National HIV Testing Week (NHTW) campaigns between 2019/20 and 2022/23:
England Total | Ordered kits | Dispatched kits | HIV reactive | HIV reactivity |
2019/20 | 19,863 | 19,496 | 81 | 0.8% |
2020/21 | 30,612 | 30,876 | 135 | 0.7% |
2021/22 | 24,409 | 23,520 | 75 | 0.6% |
2022/23 | 22,408 | 21,626 | 79 | 0.4% |
Notes:
- The campaign period is approximately one month long with NHTW being the period when key activity occurs. The table also shows the number of HIV reactive tests for the same period.
- A reactive result means that the test has reacted with something in the blood that could be, but is not necessarily, the HIV virus or antibodies to the HIV virus. A reactive result is not the same as a positive result. Further confirmatory tests will need to be taken at a clinic.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019/20, NHTW was moved from November to February.
- The number of kits dispatched may be higher than kits ordered due to a mixture of repeat kits being dispatched (this could be where a kit is damaged or lost in the post or a person needs additional tests) and a proportion of duplicate orders.
NHTW focuses on communities disproportionately affected by HIV though tests are available to be ordered by anyone in England. We have some data available on the demographic profile of people requesting an HIV testing kit during NHTW, with 44% of HIV testing kit requests in 2023 coming from gay and bisexual men who have sex with men.
Black African people’s uptake of testing kits has tripled since 2021, accounting for 10% of orders made. During NHTW in 2023, self-testing kits were made available for the first time and were particularly popular amongst black African groups. The percentage of heterosexual men who requested a testing kit has doubled since 2021, from 11% to 22% in 2023 and the percentage of heterosexual women has also steadily increased year on year.
We continue working closely together with our key partners in the HIV Prevention Programme monitoring and evaluating the results of the campaign to ensure we continue progressing towards our 2030 ambitions.