Barts and the London NHS Trust has become the first in the UK to offer a HIV saliva test that provides a definitive result in 20 minutes. Saliva tests are not a new phenomenon as they have been widley available in the United states for some time.
In making the test available on the NHS, Barts hope more people will actively seek testing if the need to give blood and wait anything up to a week for results is eliminated.
Figues recently published show the UK has the highest number of new HIV infections in Western Europe, with more than 7,700 in 2007. With gay men accounting for 41% of those new cases. The figures also show that the bulk of heterosexual infections occurred whilst the infected persons were abroad.
However, as shocking as these statistics are they do not take into account the thousands of HIV+ indiviuals in the UK who are unaware they have the virus.
Currently, home saliva testing kits are banned in the UK due to the fact that counselling is not to hand at the point the results are presented but it hoped the availability of this rapid result test will encourage more indiviuals to get tested for HIV.
AIt is reported that around 200 people in Barts clinics have undergone the test since March 2009, and it is hoped about 250 patients per month will take the test in the future.
The test is available in non-healthcare settings such as outreach centres, and it is even hoped that the trust's sexual health workers will start taking the test into clubs and pubs!
Whilst tis outwardly seems like a great idea, I cannot personally see a great uptake of people wanting the test on a night out!
We have now got to a point in the UK where HIV is a long-term treatable condition akin to diabetes. However, this message has not yet filtered through and unfortuanatley stigma still does remain around HIV, even if it is not as prevalent as it was say 10 years ago.
The crucial point with HIV is that is is diagnosed in the early stages of infection, before you get ill. It is hoped the availability of a straightforward saliva test like the one now being offerde by Barts will encourage more people to find out if they are affected. The sooner you know, the better!!
The HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, also offers a saliva test, and they often try and push the message that one of the key problems was that many people in the UK carrying the virus do not know they are infected.
This is a danger to their own health, but also means they can pass it on to others without knowing. Any method to increase the take-up of testing has got to be a welcome development.
If you are infected with HIV you should know that if you are diagnosed with HIV as early as possible and start a programme of treatment you can live into your 70s and beyond!
Of course there may be some health problems, but this is no longer a death sentence it once was - far from it.
The only way we can fight the spread of HIV is through programme of education and testing and this newly released test will only help the fight.
