SPONSORED EDITORIAL

People across the Kent are being urged by Kent County Council (KCC) to request a home sampling kit for HIV as part of National HIV Testing Awareness Week.

The ‘Give HIV the finger: a finger-prick test is all it takes’ campaign calls on people across the UK to take a finger-prick test by clicking quickly and easily online for home testing kits.

The latest figures show the prevalence of HIV in people aged between 15 and 59 in Kent is lower than the national average.

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST AN HIV HOME SAMPLING KIT

But the numbers of people being diagnosed late when they have the condition – increasing the risk to others and possibly affecting the success of treatment – remains a major concern as almost six in 10 people in Kent who were diagnosed with HIV between 2016 and 2018 received a late diagnosis.

The national campaign features celebrities and influencers promoting ‘Give HIV the finger: a finger-prick test is all it takes’.

KCC is encouraging those at higher risk of HIV, to request a home sampling kit now by clicking here.

This involves a person taking a simple finger prick blood test which is then sent to a laboratory for results within five working days. Subsequent support is available within a confidential clinical service.

KCC Public Health Director, Andrew Scott-Clark, said it is vital to reinforce the importance of early testing.

“People who have HIV but don’t realise it face a major health risk as delays in starting treatment may affect the outcome of treatment, as well as being a risk to other people being exposed to the virus,” he said.

“Despite high levels of HIV testing in the integrated sexual health services and through the online STI testing service, levels of HIV testing remain too low in most at-risk populations, and there is a need for innovative approaches to improve uptake of HIV tests.

“Testing is not just good for the individual, it’s good for the whole community.”

For more information on the home testing kits and services available in Kent, click here.