It's National HIV Testing Week and free at-home test kits are available to anyone over 16 in England.

This is part of HIV Prevention England, which is coordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust on behalf of the Department of Health. 

According to latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), HIV testing rates among heterosexual women via sexual health services are 19% lower than in 2019, while rates among heterosexual men are even lower with a fall of a third (33%) over the same period.

That's why National HIV Testing Week focuses on normalising regularly testing for HIV.

National HIV Testing Week focuses on showing how easy it now is to test for HIV, particularly among those from groups most affected by HIV in the UK, including gay and bisexual men and people of black African ethnicity.

While testing rates are higher than ever before among gay and bisexual men, testing rates have fallen by 20% in heterosexual men of black African ethnicity and 6% in heterosexual women of black African ethnicity when compared to 2019. 

That's why this week's opportunity to test for free at home is vital, with the option to choose between self-testing and a result within 15 minutes, or self-sampling where you send off a small blood sample to the lab.

Testing is the only way to know if you have HIV. Most people get a negative result and then can make a decision about how to stay that way. Those who are diagnosed can start treatment to stay healthy and, once levels of HIV in the blood reach undetectable levels, can't pass HIV on to partners.

Alongside free test kits being available during National HIV Testing Week, there are also testing events and drop-ins happening across England. 

Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, said: "National HIV Testing Week is a timely reminder that the only way to know you have HIV is to carry out one of these straightforward tests. They're quick, free and confidential and, with the right treatment, those who test positive can expect long and healthy lives."

Takudzwa Mukiwa, Head of Health Programmes at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "It's brilliant to see HIV testing at a record high among gay and bisexual men, but we need to see HIV testing levels among heterosexuals back up to where they were before COVID-19 and even higher too.

"Making sure that everyone with HIV is diagnosed and getting treatment is important to achieving our goal of ending new HIV transmissions in the UK by 2030. Most people will get a negative result, but it's important to get tested and know your status.

‛It's concerning to see testing rates among people of black African ethnicity – one of the groups most impacted by HIV in the UK – are still lower than before COVID-19.

"This is exacerbated by that fact that a quarter of black African men and third of black African women are not offered an HIV test when they attend a sexual health clinic. That needs to change and quickly. Because in order to end new HIV transmissions in this country, no one can be left behind."

Dr Alison Brown, Interim Head of HIV Surveillance at the UK Health Security Agency, said: "Although we continue to see record levels of HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men we are now seeing lower rates of testing among women and ethnic minority groups, increasing the risk of HIV diagnoses being made late.

"An HIV test is free and provides access to PrEP if needed. If you do test positive, treatment is so effective that you can expect to live a long healthy life and you won't pass HIV on to partners.

"So please, no matter your gender or sexual orientation, get regularly tested, use condoms and get PrEP if you're eligible, to protect you and your partners' health."

Free test kits can be ordered at Free HIV Kits for testing at Home | Freetesting HIV