HIV testing in UK hospitals is a “lottery,” studies warn

Large numbers of cases of HIV infection remain undiagnosed because healthcare professionals working in UK hospitals are failing to offer testing routinely to people at high risk of infection, warn three studies.

The studies were reported at the second joint conference of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and the British HIV Association, held in Manchester on 20 to 23 April.

“These research studies clearly demonstrate that HIV testing in high prevalence areas remains a ‘lottery,’ despite national guidelines which recommend routinely offering an HIV test to adults in high prevalence areas,” said Keith Radcliffe, a consultant in genitourinary medicine at the Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust and president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV. More than a third of people with an HIV infection get …