The amount of new infections in heterosexual men and women went up from 2990 in 2011 to 3110 in 2012 and it is estimated that around half of these new infections were picked up in the UK, up from 27% in 2000. The prevalence of HIV remains much higher in London than in the rest of the UK.
In total around 98400 people in the UK are living with HIV and as many as 21900 are not aware of the fact that they are infected
It is clear from the above that more work is needed to curb the spread of this epidemic. Testing early and routine testing for people at risk can save lives, as the treatments out there are very effective in reducing the amount of virus. Not only does treatment save the lives of the people infected, but it reduces the risk of spreading the disease.
With World AIDS day coming up this is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done.