Minister for Women and Equalities Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Minister for Women Mims Davies and more than 50 other MPs have tested for HIV to show how quick and easy it is and encourage others to do the same during National HIV Testing Week (until 19 February 2025).

Kevin McKenna MP, who is living with HIV, spoke about the importance of getting tested and knowing your HIV status. Incredible medical progress means people living with HIV can live a long, healthy life.

The MPs used an HIV self-test, which provided a result within just 15 minutes, and spoke to representatives from charity Terrence Higgins Trust about the importance of people being able to self-test at home.

It’s estimated that around 4,700 people in England are living with undiagnosed HIV, while almost half (44%) of diagnoses are classed as late. This is why ensuring access to regular testing is vital.

However, recent polling by YouGov, on behalf of Terrence Higgins Trust, has found that more than 80% of adults are unaware it is possible to test for HIV at home. When prompted as an option, testing at home was the most popular way to test.

Free HIV testing kits are available to order during National HIV Testing Week via freetesting.hiv, with the option of a self-test and result within 15 minutes, or a self-sampling option where you send a small blood sample to the lab. There are also testing events and drop-ins happening across England and organised by local sexual health charities.

Minister for Women and Equalities Anneliese Dodds, MP for East Oxford, was pleased to test, with the Office for Equality and Opportunity releasing a short video on social media showing how easy it is to get tested.
 

The only way to know that you’re living with HIV is by getting tested. Effective treatment means you can live a long, healthy life with HIV and, once the virus is suppressed, HIV can’t be passed on to partners.