Many Persons In Uk Do Not Know They Are HIV+

21,000 Persons In Britain Don’t Know They Are HIV+
James Achanyi-Fontem

More than a quarter of HIV sufferers in Britain are unaware they have the deadly virus. The figures are estimated at 21.000 people who do not know they are HIV positive, according to the Metro Newspaper published on 26 November, 2008.
The source indicated that the number of people who have contracted the disease rose by six per cent in 2007 to 77.400. But 28 per cent of them did not know they had it, the Health Protection agency revealed. “Not only is this dangerous to their own health, but they are more likely to pass the virus on than someone who has been diagnosed”, Lisa Power of the Terrence Higgins Trust said.
Of those who tested positive in 2007, 31 per cent equivalent of 2.300, were diagnosed late and were less likely to respond to treatment. Voluntary testing and early diagnosis of HIV/AIDS would lower the rate from the current two per cent to 0.1 per cent world wide, according to the World Health organization.
Dr. Valerie Delpech made it known that the Health Protection Agency was pushing for an expansion of HIV testing, especially in high prevalence areas such as Central London. “Diagnosing HIV infections earlier reduce transmission of this infection as those unaware of their positive status pose a greater risk to future sexual partners.
Alomost 500 people in Britain died of AIDS in 2007. The two most at-risk groups were black African heterosexuals and gay men. The number of persons seeking treatment has tripled since 1998.