HIV Infection: Screening
(asked on 3rd February 2016) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on routine HIV screening in (a) high-prevalence geographical areas and (b) specific high-risk populations.
Evidence for HIV screening in pregnancy is kept under constant review. Section 5.3 of the UK National Screening Committee’s evidence review process sets out how reviews are undertaken in light of new evidence. The review process can be found at:
HIV testing guidelines, published by the British HIV Association and other professional organisations, and endorsed by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, recommend the routine offer of an HIV test to all patients attending general medical services including hospital admissions and new patient registrations in general practice, in areas where the adult diagnosed HIV prevalence is two or more per 1,000. Public Health England advise men who have sex with men have an HIV test at least annually and every three months if having unprotected sex with new or casual partners and that black African men and women test for HIV if having unprotected sex with new or casual partners.