A rapid HIV testing service was being launched today as campaigners sought to promote early diagnosis in the run-up to World Aids Day on Saturday.
The British government has declared this week to be National HIV Testing week.
The AIDS charity, the Terence Higgins Trust was marking the week with the launch of the first rapid testing service in Glasgow in Scotland.
Staff at the service, known as Fastest, provide results within a quarter of an hour after taking a finger-prick blood test.
The charity says visitors will be getting information and support during and after the test – and there will also be advice on safe practices.
It is estimated that 5,000 people in Scotland have HIV infection and a quarter of these remain to be diagnosed.
Meanwhile NHS medical director Bruce Keogh has called on doctors to be ready to offer HIV testing to patients. Doctors should look out for patients with HIV-related symptoms and also for those in high risk groups, he says.
In a letter to doctors, Sir Bruce says: "Offering an HIV test is within the competence of all healthcare professionals and the requirement for lengthy pre-test counselling was dropped many years ago.
"Giving a positive result to a patient should be within the competence of all doctors, just as it is for any other serious life-long health condition. Support is also available from HIV clinicians."
Leave a Reply