Keir Starmer takes home HIV test to help reduce stigma
Keir Starmer took the home test kit to help reduce the stigma of HIV testing. (Getty)
Keir Starmer has taken an HIV test in public as a way to de-stigmatise testing in the UK.
The prime minister sat alongside singer and HIV activist Beverley Knight, and Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) chief executive Richard Angell to use the HIV home test kit.
Starmer, who took the test to mark the beginning of HIV Testing Week, said it was “really important” to be tested, adding: “It’s very easy, very quick.”
The UK Health Security Agency estimates that at least 4,700 people are living with undiagnosed HIV in England. That number rises to 107,000 in the UK overall.
To meet its pledge to end new cases in England by 2030, the government announced an HIV “action plan” last year.
“I suppose my task now is to talk to prime ministers and leaders across the world and say, you should do it in your own country,” Starmer told Metro. “If people test, they will know their status, it is better that people know.
“You can then get access to treatment, and that will also help meet our collective target to end new HIV transmissions by 2030.”
Angell, who has worked closely with the government to minimise new cases, said Starmer’s act was an “important symbol” for people living with HIV and fighting against the stigma of testing for sexually transmitted infections.
“Tests are free, confidential and easy, and available for everyone during this week. It will make a big difference,” Angell said.
People with HIV ‘can’t pass it on’ with effective medical treatment
In the UK, sexual health clinic appointments are confidential and aren’t tied to a patient’s medical record or their GP. The NHS website notes that patients don’t need to give their real name when booking.
HIV home test kits can also be bought from retailers, or through the THT, for £15, including delivery. They include a finger-prick blood test and an oral gum swab.
A recent YouGov poll, published on behalf of the THT, showed that more than 80 per cent of adults in England are unaware that test kits for use at home are available.
“Living with HIV today is a world away from the experience that my late best friend Tyrone endured in the early 2000s,” singing superstar Knight said. “People living with HIV can now easily know their status, can access effective treatment and live a long, healthy life. I wish this was the case for Ty.
“In his memory, I’m using my voice, alongside the prime minister, to make everyone aware of how easy it is to test. People need to hear the crucial message that thanks to effective medication, people living with HIV can’t pass it on, so we can end this epidemic once and for all.”
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