Friday, 03 July 2009 13:06
In a bid to reduce dangerous levels of undiagnosed HIV among gay men, Terrence Higgins Trust is launching a new campaign encouraging men to take control of their sexual health by regularly testing for HIV. The campaign ‘THIVK – Test – Take Control’ will be run through a stand-alone website (www.thinkHIV.co.uk), adverts in gay press, posters, leaflets and condom packs, carrying the following messages:
- “Treatments have never been so good. If you have HIV, the sooner you find out the better.”
- “Think HIV testing takes too long? Some clinics offer ‘rapid tests’ with results in 20 minutes.”
- “You think you’re HIV negative? You might be wrong.”
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) estimates that, in the UK, up to 10,000 gay men have HIV without knowing – one in four men infected with the virus don’t know they have it. Despite this, around a third of gay men in England have never taken an HIV test, with the figure even higher in Scotland and Wales. Reasons men don’t test include not realising how much they’ve put themselves at risk, concern about the length of time they’ll have to wait for the result, and fear of getting a positive result.
THT’s new campaign ‘THIVK - Test - Take Control’ directly addresses these concerns, outlining why - if you have HIV - it’s vitally important it be diagnosed as early as possible. People diagnosed late (CD4 count < 200) are much more likely to die within a year of diagnosis than those diagnosed sooner, while those who leave it too long to start HIV treatment are also more likely to pass the virus on to their partners than those who are already receiving treatment.
Marc Thompson, Deputy Head of Health Promotion says: “Recent medical advances mean HIV treatments are now more effective, easier to take and have fewer side effects. Doctors are now confident people with HIV will live long and healthy lives if diagnosed soon enough. However, if gay men leave it too late to get tested, they’re setting themselves up for serious health problems and the risk of early death.
“It’s now recommended that gay men test at least once a year, or after any unprotected sex. With the new rapid HIV tests available in testing centres such as THT ‘Fastest’, it’s never been easier to test. Part of the reason gay men don’t test as often as they should may be that they under-estimate the importance of being aware of your HIV status. We hope that, through the new campaign, we can encourage men to take control and make testing for HIV a regular part of their lives.”