In HIV Testing Made Easy, Dr Naomi Sutton welcomes Dr Tristan Barber to the studio to talk about the key role of HIV testing in Getting to Zero i.e. no new infections in the UK. Tristan walks listeners through what the tests measure, what a CD4 count is, how HIV affects the body's CD4 cells and the importance of diagnosing patients as early as possible. Recognising that funding may be a barrier to routinely testing everyone, particularly in areas of lower HIV prevalence, Tristan points out the latest BHIVA testing guidelines, including common indicator conditions that should act as triggers for offering an HIV test.

Naomi and Tristan dig deep into stories of missed testing opportunities and the devastating impact a late diagnosis can have on some patients, and offer practical advice on how healthcare professionals can offer HIV tests - whether in the community or specialist care - without judgement, as part of routine, standard care.

"Everyone in the UK should know their HIV status. This should be part of standard healthcare. We need to give destigmatising, normalising messages about HIV testing. The fact is that living with HIV is a chronic, manageable condition. And it's much easier to manage if it's diagnosed at an early stage."
"I also would encourage all healthcare providers to be able to offer HIV testing. This can be in a very standard, non-judgmental way. Find the language, say to people, 'we offer everyone testing for treatable blood borne infections including HIV, is that okay?' "

Dr Tristan Barber is a Consultant in HIV Medicine at the Ian Charleson Day Care Centre, at the Royal Free Hospital in London where he leads an ageing/frailty service for people living with HIV. His research and clinical interests to date also include: HIV-related neurocognitive impairment, new antiretroviral treatments and implementation science. Tristan chairs the Education and Scientific subcommittee for the British HIV Association (BHIVA) as well as the Board of Trustees for Positively UK, and is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Institute for Global Health, University College London. Follow along on Twitter/X @tristanjbarber.

UK-UNB-4749

Jan 2024

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