HIV in the United Kingdom

 Reports by Public Health England about testing, diagnosis and care HIV in the UK.

Read government research and analysis here

HIV in the UK: towards zero HIV transmissions by 2030

A new report by Public Health England shows that HIV transmission in the UK has continued to fall. Read Government report here

NIHR Signal Starting antiretroviral therapy immediately after HIV diagnosis reduces transmission of the virus

Giving antiretroviral therapy to people newly diagnosed with HIV may be an effective and cost-effective way of reducing new infections. Increased HIV testing in at-risk populations may identify more people for treatment and also reduce infection rates.


Using data from a number of sources including NIHR funded projects, researchers developed a computer simulation model. The model looked at the relationship between HIV infections, sexual risk behaviours and antiretroviral therapy over a 30 year period. Introduction of antiretroviral therapies and increased condom use were associated with lower rates of new cases. Most new HIV infections arose due to people not yet being aware of their HIV status. Modelling projections suggested that increasing the rate of HIV testing, and initiating antiretroviral therapy from diagnosis could both reduce the rates of new infections.


From the NIHR Dissemination Centre

NHS England announces new specialised treatments for patients

NHS England has announced the results of the first of two prioritisation rounds to decide which new specialised commissioning treatments and services will be made available for patients for the 2018/19 financial year.

An initial three new treatments and services were approved for funding including a treatment for HIV, a new specialised service for adults with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a genetic disorder affecting the respiratory system, and a new specialised service for Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a serious disorder of the skin.

Funding for the new treatments and services will begin from April.

NIHR Signal Harm reduction approaches predicted to reduce rates of new hepatitis C infection for people who inject drugs

A combination of providing clean needles and syringes and offering safer oral therapy, such as methadone, reduced the predicted risk of becoming infected with hepatitis C virus by 71%. Providing both services to people who inject drugs was likely to be cost-effective and has the potential to be cost-saving in some parts of the UK, depending on the size of the local population of people who inject drugs and underlying rates of infection.

Current services are estimated to save up to £54 million in costs of treating hepatitis C infection. This is in addition to the savings made from reducing the incidence of HIV infections. This study suggests that if such programmes are decommissioned, the number of new hepatitis C infections would at least double.

From the NIHR Dissemination Centre

£600,000 funding of 12 projects by PHE to help prevent HIV

Through the HIV Prevention Innovation Fund, PHE is funding 12 projects to help develop new and innovative ways of preventing HIV. Click here to see government report

NIHR Signal Individual support of nurses using electronic medicine monitors can improve HIV treatment

Use of electronic pill bottles that record when they are opened and follow-up discussion of the printed readouts with nurses improved HIV outcomes. It is thought that patients became more reliable in taking the medication, which can have complicated scheduling. Overall, the HIV virus in the blood and the risk of treatment failure were lower in the group of patients who had access to this intervention compared to regular care.


In addition to being more effective, the programme also reduced the estimated lifetime cost and disease burden per patient, considering quality and quantity of life lived.


The readouts were used to help focus attention on any patterns of medication usage so that strategies could be discussed to improve adherence. As non-adherence is the main barrier to effective management of HIV, any measures that improve it are welcomed. However, the intervention tested here requires several hours of training for the nurses delivering it and may not be that easy to introduce in practice. Evaluation of the approach in non-trial settings is necessary before wider implementation.

New PHE figures show decline in HIV diagnosis rates

Public Health England (PHE) figures show there has been a significant decline in new diagnoses of HIV in the UK in gay and bisexual men.

Rates of newly diagnosed HIV increasing in over-50s

"HIV rises among over-50s as they neglect safe sex" is the headline from The Times.

The news is based on a European study that found more over-50s are being diagnosed with HIV compared with 12 years ago.

The study collected data on more than 360,000 people who had been newly diagnosed with HIV between 2004 and 2015 in Europe.

Sexual health, reproductive health and HIV: a review of commissioning

This report from Public Health England outlines the findings of a 2016 survey, carried out jointly with the Association of Directors of Public Health, which aimed to gain a clear picture of the commissioning arrangements for sexual health, reproductive health and HIV services. The survey found that whilst there has been progress in improving services and the development of collaborative approaches there is also evidence of structural concerns which have the potential to impede effective commissioning. Key findings from the survey highlight the fragmentation of commissioning, barriers to access for those at greatest risk, increasing financial pressures and patient demand, and workforce concerns.

NHS England announces world’s largest single PrEP implementation trial to prevent HIV infection

NHS England has announced the start of a pioneering implementation trial to provide HIV prevention drugs to people at high risk of HIV infection.

From September, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) will now be provided by the NHS through the initial three year trial to an estimated 10,000 people, in what will be the largest single study of its type in the world. Whilst HIV infection rates in England are falling due to increased prevention, diagnosis and treatment programmes, this major new NHS-England funded intervention will now assess the full additional potential of PrEP, by gathering clinical evidence on optimal targeting, uptake and implementation on a large scale.

WHO updates Essential Medicines List with new advice on use of antibiotics, and adds medicines for hepatitis C, HIV, tuberculosis and cance

New advice on which antibiotics to use for common infections and which to preserve for the most serious circumstances is among the additions to the WHO Model list of essential medicines for 2017. Other additions include medicines for HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and leukaemia.

Auditing mortality among HIV patients in Coventry

HIV Medicine. Conference: 23rd Annual Conference of the British HIV Association, BHIVA 2017. United Kingdom. 18 (pp 34), 2017. Date of Publication: April 2017.

Accuracy in reporting vital statistics is crucial. It is a legal requirement for all deaths to be reported to the national death register. Our aims were to assess the accuracy of death reporting, mortality among HIV patients and the impact of late diagnosis on mortality.

UHCW Research: Timperley, A.

Life expectancy for people with HIV now 'near normal'

"Young people on the latest HIV drugs now have near-normal life expectancy because of improvements in treatments," BBC News reports.

The report says advances in antiretroviral drug treatments reduce the risks of serious complications.

Researchers used data from 88,504 people with HIV from Europe and North America to track improvements in survival since 1996, when antiretroviral therapy (ART) was introduced.

ART involves using a combination of drugs that helps prevent the virus from replicating inside the body and attacking the immune system.

The researchers calculated that a 20-year-old starting treatment today could live to 67 years.

The future of HIV services in England

This report explores the challenges and opportunities facing HIV services in four areas in England, and makes recommendations on future development to those in national and local leadership roles.

Consolidated guideline on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV

The starting point for this WHO guideline is the point at which a woman has learnt that she is living with HIV, and it therefore covers key issues for providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights-related services and support for women living with HIV. As women living with HIV face unique challenges and human rights violations related to their sexuality and reproduction within their families and communities, as well as from the health-care institutions where they seek care, particular emphasis is placed on the creation of an enabling environment to support more effective health interventions and better health outcomes.

Social care sector is letting down older people with HIV, finds report

Research by the Terrence Higgins Trust into the care needs of older people with HIV has highlighted a “real need” for better training of social care staff, the chair of the National Care Association has said.

The charity’s Uncharted Territory report examined the experiences of more than 300 over 50s living with HIV and concluded that the social care sector is not currently meeting their needs.

It found that social care professionals are not routinely trained on HIV as part of basic inductions or required to remain up-to-date with HIV through their professional development.

HIV testing: increasing uptake among people who may have undiagnosed HIV

This NICE and PHE guideline covers how to increase the uptake of HIV testing in primary and secondary care, specialist sexual health services and the community. It describes how to plan and deliver services that are tailored to the local prevalence of HIV, promote awareness of HIV testing and increase opportunities to offer testing to people who may have undiagnosed HIV.

See also HIV testing in England: 2016 report

Sexual and reproductive health in England: local and national data

This information provides an overview of the information available on sexually transmitted infection (STIs), HIV, contraception, conception and abortion and where to access it. It is divided into indicators (used for tracking progress), detailed local information (collation and interpretation of local intelligence) and national resources (tables and reports).

National Clinical Audit of STIs and HIV: Feasibility Study Report

The UK has a significant problem with sexual ill health, with half a million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in 2014, many more undiagnosed and a worsening profile.

 In 2014, the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) commissioned MEDFASH (Medical Foundation for HIV and Sexual Health) to conduct a feasibility study. The purpose was to explore and evaluate the feasibility, and inform the design, of a future national clinical audit of STIs and HIV, specifically concerning the management of HIV1 , gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis.

Key concerns identified were the impact and onward transmission of STIs, the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in gonorrhoea, and continuing high rates of late HIV diagnosis.