Liverpool Health Partners (LHP) is delighted that partners at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) are leading a community project to encourage people to be aware of their HIV status with free, easy to use HIV self-testing. The self testing kits are available at a number of community pharmacies from 1 June.

As part of its commitment to the Paris Declaration on Fast Track Cities(link is external) (FTC) , Liverpool has pledged to reach the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target.  This would mean 90 per cent of people living with HIV know their HIV status. Achieving this would ensure people with the infection would be able to begin therapy sooner and reduce the numbers of new infections. This important development will support Liverpool in ending HIV’s status as a public health threat by 2030.

Testing and treatment is free and available to everyone in the UK, but late diagnosis remain high in Liverpool.  Late diagnosis results in poorer outcomes and new infections, as people unknowingly pass it to others.

LHP Programme Director for Infection, Dr Stacy Todd, said: “This is a  fantastic initiative for people across our city to access quick and easy to perform tests.”

Dr Emily Clarke, Clinical Lead for HIV at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “HIV is a readily treatable condition, but late diagnosis continues to result in avoidable illness and deaths. Knowing your HIV status is essential, and this project will increase HIV testing options, and we hope encourage people who may not have previously tested, to feel confident to take a test and know their HIV status.”

More information about the project and participating pharmacies is available here.