Prime Minister Keir Starmer took an HIV test at Downing Street alongside singer and HIV campaigner Beverley Knight as part of national HIV testing week
Keir Starmer has become the first western Prime Minister to take a public HIV test.
The PM took a test on Friday afternoon at Downing Street alongside singer and HIV campaigner Beverley Knight as part of national HIV testing week, during which anyone in England can order a free HIV test. Knight, who lost her best friend Tyrone Jamison to AIDS related illness in 2003, is a patron of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV charity.
More than 80% of adults in England are unaware it is possible to test for HIV at home, according to polling by YouGov on behalf of the charity. The UK Health Security Agency estimates that 4,700 people are living with undiagnosed HIV in England.
Mr Starmer has committed to ending new HIV cases in England by 2030, with an HIV Action Plan to be published this summer. Once diagnosed, people living with HIV can access free, effective treatment which means they can have a normal life expectancy and can’t pass on the virus.
After taking a test, Mr Starmer said: “It is really important to do it, and I am pleased to have taken part too. It’s easy, it is quick. And during testing week you can get a test free – so it is a great time to also take part. If people test, they will know their status, it is better that people know, and that is a good thing because you can then get access to treatment, and that will also help meet our collective target to end new HIV transmissions by 2030.”
Knight said: “Living with HIV today is a world away from the experience that my late best friend Tyrone endured in the early 2000s. People living with HIV can now easily know their status, can access effective treatment and live a long, healthy life. I wish this was the case for Ty.
“In his memory, I’m using my voice alongside the Prime Minister to make everyone aware of how easy it is to test. People need to hear the crucial message that thanks to effective medication people living with HIV can’t pass it on, so we can end this epidemic once and for all.”
Richard Angell, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust said: “The Prime Minister has made history by becoming the first G7 leader to publicly take an HIV test while in office and has led by example. This free, quick and simple test sends a powerful message to the country and to the public. During National HIV Testing Week, anyone in England can order a test to their home, whether that’s to Downing Street, to Penzance or to Berwick-up-Tweed.
“England can be the first country in the world to end new HIV transmissions, but we are not on track to do so by 2030. Scaling up HIV testing will be crucial to our shared goal.”
Rebecca Mbewe, an author and speaker who is living with HIV, said: “Testing for HIV is the only way to know your status, and it helps you stay in control of your health. If you do have a positive result, you won’t be on your own. I have been living with HIV for close to 30 years, I am still able to do anything and everything that I like.
“I still have my glass of gin and tonic. I can still go out and dance. Thanks to free, effective medication, I have a full life, I can’t pass HIV on and I have a normal life expectancy. Every time I have a birthday I love telling people my age. It’s a statement. It’s a celebration.”