The number of patients who have newly acquired HIV has risen sharply, according to figures published by the Health Protection Agency in the UK today. Gay men are still the group most likely to acquire the disease.
According to the data, the group most likely to acquire the disease are gay men. It is estimated that there are about 30,000 men who have sex with men living with HIV. Out of these around 10,000 are probably suffering from HIV but are not aware of it.
In light of this data, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued new guidelines to both GPs and hospital doctors to offer and recommend HIV testing to men. GPs who practice in areas with a large community of gay men or have high occurrence of HIV (2 cases per 1,000) have been suggested to offer HIV testing to all males.
Campaigners have welcomed the new guidelines as a "vital step forward"."HIV is still a serious problem in this country, with a large proportion of people unaware they are infected," Professor Mike Kelly from NICE said. ""This new guidance from NICE makes a number of practical recommendations which aim to increase HIV testing by encouraging healthcare professionals to offer it routinely to people in areas where there are a high number of people living with HIV."
The Black African community in Britain has been identified as another group which are at risk of being infected by the disease. In 2009, more than 2,000 members of the Black African community were diagnosed with HIV - a third of all new cases in the UK.
Some of the areas which have high rates of HIV include Brighton and Hove, various parts of London as well as part of Manchester.
Early diagnosis can save lives, according to Dr. Valerie Delpech, head of HIV surveillance at the Health Protection Agency. She claimed that these new guidelines for more testing would make a significant difference and should be implemented as soon as possible.
“Brighton and Hove is a very welcoming city to gay people, not only is it a very vibrant and cosmopolitan city, it;s also a very gay city. It’s one of, if not THE most gay friendly cities in the UK outside London, it’s been estimated that over 35% of the population in the city are gay. It also has a very good healthcare and support programme for those people living with HIV and as such, is a popular destination for people from other areas of the country, where healthcare and support is, perhaps somewhat lacking, to settle. Therefore, it’s likely to see an increasing number of HIV cases” UK gay rights campaigner and Brighton resident Jason Shaw, told us today.
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