Dr Christian Jessen gave the Mayor of Lambeth an HIV test at St Thomas’ Hospital this morning to mark National HIV Testing Week.
St Thomas’ is only one of two hospitals in the country to offer HIV testing as standard in their A&E, with Lambeth having the highest prevalence of the virus in the country.
Last week’s figures reveal there is decreasing trend in London in MSM (men who have sex with men) living with undiagnosed HIV – 3,400 in 2010, compared to 2,400 in 2014.
National HIV Testing Week ambassador Dr Christian Jessen said: “I am proud to be the National HIV Testing Week ambassador. Testing for HIV is crucial for prevention.
“The fact that diagnoses have increased is encouraging in one sense.
“If you get tested and receive a positive diagnosis, you can now immediately go onto treatment, and if you are on medication you are classed as ‘undetectable’ and the virus cannot be passed on.
“Most concerning to me is the fact that nearly one in six people with HIV do not realise they have it, so they are putting their own health at risk and HIV could unknowingly be passed on.”
