DIY CHECK-UP
At-home HIV tests launched in supermarkets for first time alongside new scheme to eliminate fresh cases by 2030
THE world's first at-home HIV test is now available in Tesco.
Shoppers can pick up the finger-prick blood screening in store and online for £18.
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It detects antibodies to HIV Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) and/or HIV Virus Type 2 (HIV-2) in just 15 minutes, with more than 99 per cent accuracy.
Frederick Manduca, co-founder of device creator , said: "By placing easily accessible HIV self-tests on supermarket shelves, we're offering more than a diagnostic tool - it's about fostering open conversations, eradicating the stigma still surrounding HIV, and confronting the misconceptions faced by individuals living with HIV.
"This accessibility serves as a prompt to encourage dialogue and education, chipping away at the barriers and misconceptions those with HIV encounter daily."
A new study by the healthcare company found that more than 10million Brits would not knowingly want to be friends or work with someone living with HIV.
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It also revealed people in the UK to be clueless when it comes to how the virus spreads.
It is transmitted via bodily fluids, such as semen, blood, vaginal and anal substances, and breast milk.
But millions of people wrongly assume it is passed on by drinking from the same glass, sharing utensils and gym equipment, kissing, touching a toilet seat, and even holding hands.
Many also believe having HIV changes your appearance, which is false.
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Newfoundland Diagnostics thinks these perceptions are a hangover from the AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s.
The firm highlighted that it's been three decades since the government's 'Don't Die of Ignorance' campaign, but "it's clear we're going backwards as a nation".
Mr Manduca added: "These misconceptions about HIV are deeply troubling and underscore the crucial necessity for comprehensive education and for Brits to know their status.
"With the medical advancements available today in the wake of the AIDS epidemic, we’d hope as a nation to have made significant strides in understanding HIV and those it affects.
"Unfortunately, these findings reveal a lingering cloud of misinformation that continues to shroud perceptions of HIV."
HIV is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease, according to the NHS.
The only way to know if you have it is to take a test.
Some people may also display symptoms including a sore throat, fever and a rash.
Later, sufferers can experience weight loss, night sweats, thrush in the mouth, herpes or cold sore outbreaks, swollen glands, diarrhoea and fatigue, the Terrence Higgins Trust says.
There is currently no cure, but there are very effective drug treatments to enable most people to live a long and healthy life.
If diagnosed early and treated effectively, most people with HIV won't develop AIDS-related illnesses.
The best way to reduce your risk of HIV is to:
- Use a condom for sex
- Take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
- Never share needles or syringes
The government hopes to eliminate all new HIV cases in England by 2030.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has launched a new £20million project to support this.
As part of the plans, blood tests carried out in A&E departments at almost 100 hospitals will screen for HIV.
Speaking at a reception hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and Aids, Sir Elton John said the UK "can be the first country in the world to defeat this awful virus".
The music superstar, 76, added: "Take action and push things a little further than might feel comfortable.
"And as you do, I can promise you this: I will be there with you."
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: "Less than three decades ago, HIV could be a death sentence.
"It was often - and wrongly - considered a source of shame, and diagnoses were hidden from friends, family and society.
"But today, thanks to effective treatments, it is possible to live a long and healthy life with HIV.
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"As well as promoting prevention for all, the more people we can diagnose, the more chance we have of ending new transmissions of the virus and the stigma wrongly attached to it.
"This programme, which improves people’s health and wellbeing, saves lives and money."
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